A collaborative painting done on the floor by members of the Center for Independent Futures – Art Encounter Art Club, turned horizontally, is shown here. Credit: RoundTable File Photo
For the third year in a row, Art Encounter and the Center for Independent Futures have joined hands to mount an exhibit of artwork at the Coffee Lab, 910 Noyes St. The works are the result of a program of creative workshops and social connection offered by Art Encounter and teaching artist Val McCune, a 10-year Evanston resident.
The 10 adult participants from the Art Club are showing their artwork on the east wall during the month of April, with at least two pieces from each person displayed. The coffee shop is chock full of artwork, so the exhibit, entitled “This is Us,” has a lot of competition.
Interior of Coffee Lab, showing Art Club artwork Credit: Gay Riseborough
The exhibiting artists are Ross Bostick, Alan Cohen, Gabe Freeman, Ben Gershon, Josh Gray, Becca Kennedy, Pam Molitor, Laura Stein, Claire Toman and Lindsay Tonyan. They meet one evening a week across the street at the Noyes Cultural Center, where they experience community and enjoy experimental art-making.
The Center for Independent Futures is a nonprofit at 1015 Davis St. It supports adults with disabilities to help them live full, independent lives, addressing housing issues, combatting social isolation and providing life-skills coaching.
Art Encounter is a nonprofit dedicated to educating, empowering and connecting people through interactive encounters with visual art. They offer programs, travel and field trips, studio and collections tours, artists critique group, and manage their mural program, EMAP.
Exterior of the Coffee Lab, 910 Noyes St., Evanston Credit: RoundTable File Photo
The Coffee Lab has been around since 2010. Close to the Noyes Cultural Center and to Northwestern University, it is a warm, busy place frequented mostly by college students and their ever-present laptops. There, baristas prepare and serve traditional espresso, specialty coffees, pastries and breads. The cafe is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Gay Riseborough is an artist, has served the City of Evanston for 14 years on arts committees, and is now an arts writer at the Evanston RoundTable.
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