The Chicagoland non-profit Arts of Life continues celebrating 25 years of supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the projection of a collaborative work, City Circle Heart, on ART on THE MART. Featuring Marcelo Añón, Veronica Cuculich, Stefan Harhaj, Hector Jones, and Maria Vanik, City Circle Heart adapts Arts of Life artists’ work to the larger-than-life canvas, attracting people of all abilities to appreciate the movement, colors, and beauty of the Chicago Riverwalk. City Circle Heart runs on Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 – 8pm, from Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, October 5, and Thursday, December 4 to Sunday, December 28, 2025.
“Arts of Life is thrilled to showcase our artists and celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a featured presentation on ART on the MART. This is an ideal opportunity to highlight our commitment to supporting artistic expression, to providing professional development opportunities for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and to introducing our artists’ work to new audiences,” shares Arts of Life Co-Founder and Executive Director Denny Fisher.
City Circle Heart projection on ART on THE MART, 2020, Courtesy Arts of Life
Created for - and officially premiered among - the 2020 ART on the MART projections, City Circle Heart is a compilation of colorful, abstract images that are knitted together in a dynamic, moving image display accompanied by a unique soundscape. City Circle Heart features motion graphics by Lisa Armstrong and sound design by Chris Kalis.
The projection is best viewed on the Chicago Riverwalk Jetty between Wells and Franklin Street, which features permanently installed speakers broadcasting the associated audio. More information is online at artonthemart.com and artsoflife.org.
About Arts of Life 25th Anniversary
Throughout its 25th anniversary year, Arts of Life looks back at its history, celebrates its impact, and casts eyes toward its future. The year kicked off with the launch of an artwork-filled hardcover book, 2wenty 5ive – Arts of Life 2000-2025, in a festive celebration in February followed by a national launch at the Outsider Art Fair in New York. In spring, Arts of Life presented What they said, an exhibition of recent works from both Arts of Life and guest contemporary artists that was curated by acclaimed artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust (March 28 – May 9, 2025). Community on the Make | Arts of Life 2000 – 2025, a retrospective exhibition exploring the collaboration between artists, volunteers, and staff, is currently on view at the Design Museum of Chicago through September 21. To finish off the year of celebratory programming, the Arts of Life annual Benefit Art Auction will be held at Epiphany Center for the Arts on October 3.
About ART on THE MART
ART on THE MART, presented in partnership with Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), is one of the world’s largest digital art platforms that transforms an architectural landmark into a permanent, larger-than-life canvas. A shining example of Chicago’s long-standing commitment to public art, ART on THE MART brings cutting-edge video mapping techniques to Chicago’s Riverwalk, displaying projections of contemporary art across the 2.5-acre façade of THE MART, the largest privately held commercial building in the United States, internationally recognized as a global innovator in culture, design, and technology.
ART on THE MART presents pioneering moving image work by renowned local, national, and international interdisciplinary artists. The program has commissioned work by celebrated names like Derrick Adams, Charles Atlas, Nick Cave, Barbara Kruger, and more, alongside projections by Chicago-based artists and local partner organizations, from the Art Institute of Chicago and The Adler Planetarium to the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project and Chicago Public Schools. ART on THE MART amplifies the expressions of the broadest range of artists and partners to realize the power of public art and inspire positive community engagement along the river, throughout Chicago, and beyond.
Founded in 2018, the program is a result of a 30-year commitment by THE MART owner Vornado Realty Trust, in close collaboration with the City of Chicago, with a shared goal to provide public access to innovative contemporary art to the thousands of visitors traversing the Chicago Riverwalk each day.
About Arts of Life
Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.
Arts of Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in January 2000 with a shared vision: to create a working, person-centric, artistic community while providing a work environment of equality in Chicago. Motivated by founding artist Veronica Cuculich along with two co-founders Arts of Life brought nine other individuals with developmental disabilities to create the organization. Their shared vision grew from a passion for artistic expression and a need for an alternative system.
For artists at Arts of Life, a career in the visual arts is an opportunity for meaningful employment. Each artist has their own studio space and works independently from individualized project plans or receives one on one visual arts facilitation to increase their artistic skill set. Artists also receive 60% of art sales.
Today, Arts of Life has two professional art studios and represent over 80 artists with varying levels of physical and intellectual disabilities. Each studio is 6,000 square feet and includes a community gallery that is open to the public.
For more information on Arts of Life and its programs, visit artsoflife.org. Connect with Arts of Life on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.