2021-2022 Artists
Damon Lamar Reed
Longtime LUV collaborator . The creator of more than 170 murals in Chicago, Reed has worked with the LUV Institute to create several large scale art installations with students in Chicago Public Schools.
Abena Motaboli
As a cultural engagement facilitator, Motaboli works with the Chicago Park District, community gardens, immigrant centers, and other community organizations across the city. She is “passionate about making art and education accessible to a diverse and broad audience from children to adults.”
Haerim Lee
Originally from South Korea, Chicagoan Rim Lee’s art stimulates dialogue with communities through painting, public murals, artist books, and photography. Ethnographic research informs her practice as she investigates the history of an architectural site–such as the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Cabrini Green, or the murals on the South Side of Chicago or in Gary, IN–and translates that into her studio practice.
JessTimeless
Self-taught artist and art entrepreneur, Jessica Patterson seeks to “create original paintings that are based on childhood experiences and/or adversities in society, while also exploring the joy of life. I strive to be a role model for young individuals exploring their artistic ability in whatever field they are pursuing.”
Melana Bass
Artist and muralist with public pieces in Madison, WI, Bass is most noted for the exuberance of black girl pride in her art.
P.J. Stewart
Retired from Chicago Public Schools, where she taught elementary school and art in grades 7-12, Mrs. Stewart is now the owner of Studio 3140-WPB at the Bridgeport Art Center. Her works have been exhibited in arts institutions nationwide.
Pugs Atomz
Englewood-based, world traveling multi-genre collaborative artist, Atomz has taught art in After School Matters for 10 years and has expanded into music, video, and fashion design.
Raven Smith
ChiArts grad and School of the Art Institute student with a private commission business, Smith is an oil painter whose goal is to aid in the desegregation of “Black art” from the rest of the contemporary art world.
ROHO Garcia
Painter, muralist, DJ, and writer, Garcia shares with high school students the experience of self-expression and artistic development. He has taught classes for After School Matters and at the National Museum of Mexican Art, focusing on the fundamentals of art and design as well as Muralism.
