The nonprofit Arts of Life will project works of colorful and abstract images on the facade of Merchandise Mart every evening from Sept. 11 through Oct. 5 as part of its 25th anniversary.
The collaboration titled “Art on the Mart: City Circle Life” was originally scheduled for 2020, but was delayed by the pandemic. Projections of five artists’ work intended for the 2020 event will be displayed from 7:30 to 8 p.m. daily on the Mart, situated along the Chicago River between Wells and Orleans streets.
The artists are looking forward to having their projections shared with a broad audience, said Vincent Uribe, director of exhibitions and creative partnerships for Arts of Life, which gives artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to express themselves.
But Arts of Life has been making moves all year. As the group approached the quarter-century mark, Uribe said, members of the team considered how to celebrate in ways they weren’t able to in 2020. Making a book and hosting a retrospective show led the conversation.
In February, the group held a launch party for a book titled “2wenty-5ive: Arts of Life 2000-2025,” which showcases artwork from some of the organization’s cohort of more than 80 artists.
“When we realized these two things kind of go hand in hand, we started developing the book,” Uribe said.
Approximately 25 artists were highlighted in the book that aims to encompass the nonprofit’s core values: inspiring artistic expression, building community, promoting self-respect and developing independence.
In April, Arts of Life participated in EXPO Chicago 2025, an art fair at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall that showcases contemporary and modern art galleries.
In August, the nonprofit collaborated with the Design Museum of Chicago to display artists’ work at the museum.
Arts of Life was founded in January 2000. Typically, Uribe said, artists hear about the group by word of mouth. When they inquire about the organization, they are then given a three-day trial to see if the program suits them. If it does, Arts of Life leaders begin the onboarding process to help the artist become a member, he said.
Members are not required to have portfolios. There is no limit to how long an artist can be a member, Uribe said, and some have been with the program for as long as 17 years.
To cap off the 25-year celebration, Arts of Life will host its sixth annual benefit auction and dance party Oct. 4 at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, where participants can purchase works that were at the Design Museum exhibition.
Unlike a typical formal gala, Uribe said, this event is more “fun, festive and energetic.”
The Art on the Mart projections will take place again from 7:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 4-28. The group’s website says projections are best viewed on the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells and Franklin streets. Speakers broadcast associated audio. The projection events are free and open to the public.
