Community Work
My community-based projects grow from the belief that art can build bridges — between people, cultures, and experiences. I see art-making as a collective act of healing, reflection, and empowerment. Each project is an invitation to connect, to create meaning together, and to remind ourselves that resilience and belonging are born through shared stories.
From Exile and Prayer to Light: A Journey of Resilience and Hope
Community Art Therapy at the Art Institute of Chicago
This museum-based art therapy program was facilitated at the Art Institute of Chicago, guiding participants through Marc Chagall’s works to explore themes of exile, faith, and renewal. The visit combined guided meditation, mindful art observation, and reflective creation using personalized booklets. Participants were invited to connect with Chagall’s story and their own, transforming personal and collective narratives of struggle into moments of light, resilience, and hope.
Community Art Programs for Kids
These community-based art programs invite children to explore creativity through projects inspired by the seasons and holidays. Each session encourages self-expression, teamwork, and social connection while fostering confidence, imagination, and a sense of belonging. Through collaborative art-making, children discover new ways to see themselves, their community, and the world around them.
Mindful Making: Dreamscapes
Art Therapy Workshop at the Art Institute of Chicago
This collaborative art therapy workshop was co-facilitated in the museum’s Surrealist gallery, inviting participants to explore surrealism as a bridge to the unconscious. Drawing inspiration from the artworks, participants created dream-inspired collages, inspired by the intuitive process of SoulCollage®—a creative method of assembling personal imagery to access inner wisdom. The session included discussion on surrealism and its connection to the unconscious, particularly in times of global uncertainty. Each participant received a guided reflection sheet to support their personal creative process.
Creative Arts with LGBTQ+ Communities
In collaboration with Shekulo Tov, a social rehabilitation organization that supports people in their personal and social recovery through creativity and community engagement, I facilitated ongoing art workshops for LGBTQ+ participants.
These art therapy-based sessions offered a safe and affirming space to explore identity, relationships, and emotional expression. Through art-making, participants - both individually and as a community - reclaimed their voices, transforming personal experience into strength, visibility, and pride.
Therapeutic Art Workshop for College Students
An event with Metro Chicago Hillel
This workshop, inspired by the therapeutic SoulCollage® method, invited students from universities across the Chicago area to pause, breathe, and reconnect through guided meditation and intuitive collage.
Each participant received a small reflection booklet I designed, offering prompts and space for writing — a gentle companion to support personal insight and integration beyond the session.
Amid the pace and pressure of academic life, the workshop offered a creative space to connect — both to themselves and to the community.
Art for Healing and Mental Health Rehabilitation
A creative partnership with the Shekulo Tov Group supporting mental health recovery through art
A series of creative workshops for adults in mental health rehabilitation, designed to foster calm, confidence, and connection through art-making. The sessions encouraged self-expression, empowerment, and resilience while supporting community integration — using creativity as a bridge toward belonging, healing, and shared growth.