Hands On! Children’s Art Museum of Chicago. (Hands On! ) is an 501(c),(3) nonprofit organization. “Hands On!” is a new organization that aims to provide unique, meaningful arts programming for every child, to educate children in the art and to create an audience for the artist for life. We will offer a dynamic and ever-evolving program. Our programs will include fine arts, but we are primarily focused on visual art. The majority of activities are open-ended and can be enjoyed by anyone who walks in. The Museum will be staffed by working artists, and all structured activities will be led by master artist-teachers.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the Arts Education Partnership initiated a study last January to examine the effect of arts experiences on young children and to discover how and why they changed. The evidence shows that children who are active in the arts have a higher success rate than those who aren’t. Champions of Change examined the evidence and found that arts participation can lead to positive habits that will help other disciplines. It also has the ability to reach students at high-risk when other disciplines are not. The arts offer young people authentic learning experiences that engage their hearts, minds, and bodies. Arts education can be a learning tool for students. It can inspire creativity, self-discipline, as well as the skills and confidence needed to overcome the many challenges that they face throughout their lives.
The three founding board members, all mothers of young kids, are uniquely qualified and equipped to carry this project off the ground. Karolyn Kuehner, Executive Director, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, with highest honors, from Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. For more than ten years, she served as a Lecturer in Piano at Roosevelt University. Elmhurst College and Concordia University also had her on their piano faculties. Ms. Kuehner, who was recognized for her contributions to piano pedagogy, received the D.H. Baldwin Fellowship. Ms. Kuehner is an active Brownie Troop leader with the Girl Scouts of Chicago and is an advocate for homeschooling. Ms. Kuehner was a guest on Educate! On Channel 20 and Medill Reports from Northwestern University. Interviews with Ms. Kuehner have appeared in Chicago Parent and the Homeschooling Link.
Sheri, Operations Director, holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration degrees from Governors State University. She was previously the Beverly Area Planning Association’s Housing director, a non profit community organization. Ms. Jendra has also been an Assistant Planner at the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Ms. Jendra has been active in various capacities as a volunteer at St. Barnabas Catholic Church Elementary School and in a variety youth sports activities.
Nancy McGourty, Marketing director, has a Bachelor of Science (Commerce) degree from DePaul University, with a major of Marketing. Prior employment included the positions of Assistant Vice President/Marketing for Founders Bank, Economic Director for the Beverly Area Planning Association and Marketing Officer within the Corporate and Institutional Banking section at First Chicago Bank. Ms. McGourty actively participates in the Beverly/Morgan Park community, as a director with the Southwest Beverly Improvement Association as well as as a volunteer at Sutherland Elementary school, St. Barnabas Catholic Church, as well as the AYSO.
Our Board of Director members include the founder board members. They are joined by James Lindsey and Paul Tuminaro who are both Chicago-based artists advocates and members of the NewGroup Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
We need funding to cover the initial costs of starting up, legal costs, leasehold improvements and rent and associated expenses.
We estimate that approximately 60% hands on!’s annual revenue comes from a combination of admissions, programming, memberships, and other related activities. The remainder of our funding comes from:
- Writing proposals to obtain grants
foundations.
Objectives
Hands on!‘s goals during the first year are:
- Earned revenue can be generated from membership and admission fees, programming and outreach, as well as retail sales and special events.
- To secure new funding sources including foundation grants, government grants, and private and corporate donations.
- To have 375 total paid members.
- Our outreach programs are designed to reach 1,500 children.
Mission
hands on! aims to help children of all age develop their creative potential through visual and performing arts. Hands on! aims to provide a safe environment for children of all abilities and ages to express themselves through the fine arts. Hands-On! creates a work environment that is creative, challenging, rewarding and respectful of individuals and ideas.
Keys to Success
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