“An adventure filled with wonder and curiosity” – Monica Acosta reflects on their Kurcz Fund project
When Teaching Artist Monica Acosta was awarded the 2021 Katie Kurcz Memorial Fund grant, they knew they wanted to take a deep dive into the relationship between visual arts and music. The Kurcz Memorial Fund, created in honor of Snow City Arts Auxiliary Board founding member Katie Kurcz, gives Snow City Arts' Teaching Artists an opportunity to pursue professional learning or collaborative projects outside of the hospital environment and across multiple disciplines. These projects enhance their artistic practice as [...]
Announcing 2023 Katie Kurcz Awardee – Kevin Smith
Today, we are delighted to announce Snow City Arts’ 2023 Katie Kurcz Memorial Fund awardee, Kevin Smith! Kevin is a teaching artist at Rush University Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital University of Illinois. Kevin is also a guitarist, composer, music educator and a father to an adorable toddler named Malcolm! Kevin joined Snow City Arts in 2017 and he’s been impacting the lives of our students ever since through the power of music. With his Katie Kurcz Memorial Fund [...]
Through the Kurcz Fund, Lenny Zieben helps students access a brave new world of digital music
When Snow City Arts teaching artist Lenny Zieben received his 2020 Katie Kurcz Memorial Fund Award, he knew he wanted to use it to dig deeper into music technology so that he could learn more—and, in turn, help his students access unique and exciting new ways of making digital music. Created in honor and celebration of the life of Snow City Arts Auxiliary Board founding member Katie Kurcz, the Kurcz Memorial Fund allows teaching artists like Lenny to venture [...]
Get to Know SCA Teaching Artist Molly Blumberg
In this blog post series, you’ll learn more about Snow City Arts’ amazing Teaching Artists! Every weekday, our TAs deliver arts education to children and young adults in inpatient and outpatient pediatric units at our partner hospitals. Through in-person and virtual workshops in creative writing, media arts, music, theatre, dance and visual arts, they actively engage young patients, transforming hospital rooms into arts studios. We are so proud of their amazing, tireless work, and we hope that you get [...]
Get to Know SCA Teaching Artist Keren Díaz de León
In this blog post series, you’ll learn more about Snow City Arts’ amazing Teaching Artists! Every weekday, our TAs deliver arts education to children and young adults in inpatient and outpatient pediatric units at our partner hospitals. Through in-person and virtual workshops in creative writing, media arts, music, theatre, dance and visual arts, they actively engage young patients, transforming hospital rooms into arts studios. We are so proud of their amazing, tireless work, and we hope that you get [...]
For Rosie, Snow City Arts has been a lifelong source of joy and comfort
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. [...]