Hands on! Children’s Art Museum of Chicago. (Hands On! ) is an 501(c),(3) nonprofit organization. Hands-On! has been created to provide meaningful and unique arts programming for children of all ages, to educate them in the arts, as well as to develop a lifetime appreciation for the arts. We are committed to offering a dynamic and continually-evolving program. Although we will incorporate all of the fine arts into our programs, our focus is on visual art. The majority of activities are open-ended and can be enjoyed by anyone who walks in. The Museum will be staffed with working artists. All structured activities will be led and directed by master artist-teachers.
The Arts Education Partnership, in conjunction with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, commenced a study last year to examine the impact of arts experiences on young people and to explore why and how young people were changed through their arts experiences. Evidence demonstrates that children with high levels of arts participation outperform “arts-poor” students by virtually every measure. Champions of Change found that arts education can help students at high risk reach other disciplines. The arts provide youth with real learning experiences that are engaging for their mind, heart, and body. Arts education is a way for students to learn. It can improve creativity, self discipline, and equip them with the skills and confidence they need to tackle the challenges of their lives.
All three of the founding board members are mothers with young children. Karolyn KUEHNER, Executive Director, has a Bachelor of Music degree (Piano Pedagogy) and a Master of Music degree (Piano Performance and Pedagogy), both with the highest honors, from Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. Over the past 10 years she was a Roosevelt University lecturer in piano and served on the Elmhurst College and Concordia University piano faculties. Ms. Kuehner won the D.H. Baldwin Fellowship for her contribution to piano pedagogy. She is listed in Who’’s Who in American Music. Ms. Kuehner has been an active Brownie Troop leader for the Girl Scouts of Chicago, and she is a proponent of homeschooling. On Educate!, she was a guest. Channel 20 and Medill Reports, Northwestern University. Interviews with Mrs. Kuehner appear in Chicago Parent and Homeschooling Link.
Sheri Jendra (Operations Director) holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration as well as a Master of Public Administration degree at Governors State University. She was formerly employed as the Housing Director at the Beverly Area Planning Association, a non-for-profit community organization. She has also served as Assistant Planner for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Ms. Jendra serves as a volunteer in numerous capacities at St. Barnabas Catholic Church. She also participates in youth sports activities.
Nancy McGourty, Marketing Director, holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree with a major in Marketing from DePaul University. Previous positions include the Assistant Vice- President/Marketing position at Founders Bank and the Economic Development Director at the Beverly Area Planning Association. Additionally, she was the Marketing Officer for the Corporate and Institutional Banking Group at First Chicago Bank. As a director for the Southwest Beverly Improvement Association and as a volunteer at Sutherland elementary school, St. Barnabas Catholic Church and the AYSO, Ms. McGourty has been active in Beverly/Morgan Park.
In addition to the founding board members, our Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse group of individuals including Grammy Award winning composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis, Michael Friedman, CEO of Premonition Records, James Lindsey, CPA with TTX Company, and Paul Tuminaro, Chicago-based arts advocate and member of the NewGroup Board at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
We are seeking funding for initial start-up costs to be used for legal costs, leasehold improvements, rent and related expenses, office equipment, furniture, starting inventory, and initial cash to handle the first few months of expenses.
We estimate that approximately 60% of Hands On!’s annual revenue will be generated by a combination of membership, admissions, programming, retail sales, and related activities. The remainder of our funding comes from:
- Writing proposals to secure grants
foundations.
Objectives
Hands-On!‘#8216’s objectives in the first year of business were:
- Earned revenue can be generated from membership and admission fees, programming and outreach, as well as retail sales and special events.
- To secure new funding sources like foundation grants, grants from the government, and private or corporate donations.
- To have 375 total paid members.
- To serve 1,500 children through our outreach programs.
Mission
HandsOn! has the mission to encourage children all ages to realize their full creative potential by using the visual and performing art. Hands On! strives, through the fine arts, to create a unique environment in which children of all ages, abilities, and experience can feel free to imagine, create, and welcome the arts into their lives. Hands Off! promotes professionalism and creativity while being respectful of individual ideas and others.
Keys for Success
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