Eighteen-year-old Rosie has created countless works of art with Snow City Arts since her first workshop at Lurie Children’s Hospital—when she was only three years old.
Over the course of 15 years, she participated in hundreds of workshops in every artistic discipline we offer. Whether in her hospital room, the outpatient clinic, or virtually, working with Snow City Arts has helped Rosie cultivate her deep, life-long love for visual art and get school credit for the skills she’s learned.
At left, young Rosie at the “Underwater Outerspace” workshop with Snow City teaching artist Jonathan Stein. In this workshop, students dropped food dye into water and photographed it with a macro lens, creating colorful, out-of-this-world images. At right: Rosie’s finished image.
“Instead of thinking about the heaviness of the day, it took our minds into a more creative space,” says Rosie’s mom, JoAnne. “It makes a huge difference, especially in that environment. We looked forward to those bright days when we got to do Snow City Arts.” The time Rosie spent with Snow City teaching artists allowed her to forget about being sick for a while and just create.
“It’s not just the art, it’s the people, the process. It impacts you in a positive way, especially when you don’t feel well.” – Rosie
Today, Rosie is a prolific visual artist who loves experimenting with new materials. When she’s not working on her own projects at home or attending her Friday art class, she is a regular attendee of Snow City Arts’ new community Art Parties.
Her eyes light up when you ask her how it feels when she’s making art.“It’s more than joy,” she says. “I don’t know if there’s a word. It makes me feel so relaxed, I get lost in it and time just flies.”
“Zen Sunset,” a watercolor painting by Rosie at age 16.
As 2022 draws to a close, we are so proud to celebrate Rosie for her talent, her creativity, and her passion for artmaking, as well as the thousands of other Snow City Arts students whose lives we’ve been lucky to be a part of.
Here’s to our students, our staff, and our supporters—and to an inspiring 2023 full of joy, hope, and art!
Want to learn more about Rosie and her work with Snow City Arts? Check out this recent interview on CBS Chicago!
Your support makes it possible for us to provide transformative arts education to youth in hospitals. You can ensure that Rosie and, annually, over 1,000 kids like her find their creative spark at a time in their lives that can be scary and uncertain. As 2022 draws to a close, consider making a gift to Snow City Arts and help change the lives of another generation of hospitalized youth. Thank you—and happy holidays!
Leave A Comment