A Call for Artists for The Chicago Lighthouse Public Art Display!

The Chicago Lighthouse is currently calling for artists with and without disabilities for a very special summer project! Without a doubt, summer time here offers numerous activities for everyone to enjoy. From concerts to festivals, and sporting activities to parades, there is sure to be something that will please individuals of all ages. Going to Navy Pier and Millennium Park are just a few of the things I love about summers in Chicago!

The Chicago Lighthouse will be joining in the summer fun this year with the Lighthouses on The Mag Mile campaign, a new and exciting public art display celebrating the access and inclusion of people with disabilities. This event will coincide with Access Chicago, the premier exposition for people with disabilities, as well as with the city’s busiest tourist season. The Lighthouses on The Mag Mile campaign is being launched to bring awareness of the mission of The Chicago Lighthouse, one of the city’s long-standing and most prominent social service organizations serving people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled and Veterans.

We invite professional and aspiring artists to apply and participate in the Lighthouses on The Mag Mile campaign. Submissions from artists of all cultural backgrounds, as well as from artists with and without disabilities are encouraged. Chosen artists will design a provided fiberglass lighthouse sculpture for The Magnificent Mile that will illustrate what it means to be a beacon of access and inclusion for people with disabilities. Lighthouse sculptures measure 6 feet tall by 30 inches in diameter and will be placed on The Mag Mile, as well as in nearby locations. Each artist or group will receive a stipend of $750.

Your sculpture will help those passing by to:

• Recognize the role access and inclusion play in the achievements of people with disabilities.
• Encourage Chicago-area employers and community members to lead the way with opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Feel the power each individual has to support the lives of people with disabilities.
• Imagine what is possible for all individuals with disabilities.

After the exhibition, lighthouse sculptures will be auctioned and proceeds will benefit the 39 programs and services at The Chicago Lighthouse.

Applications are due on MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018. To learn more about this exciting opportunity or to download an application, please visit this website. You may also send an email to callforartists@chicagolighthouse.org, or call Jessica Grant at 312-447-3255 if you have any questions.

The completed application and agreement may be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Emailing the materials to callforartists@chicagolighthouse.org
• Mail or hand-deliver to The Chicago Lighthouse Call for Artists, at 1850 W. Roosevelt Rd. Chicago, IL 60608, attention Financial Development Department.

The Chicago Lighthouse is also seeking businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities for this campaign. To learn more, visit this page or contact Angela D’Antonio at 312-447-3246, or angela.dantonio@chicagolighthouse.org. For media inquiries about The Chicago Lighthouse or about the Lighthouses on The Mag Mile Public Art Display, contact Dominic Calabrese at 312-997-3662 or Dominic.calabrese@chicagolighthouse.org.

Sandy Murillo works at The Chicago Lighthouse, an organization serving the blind and visually impaired. She is the author of Sandy’s View, a bi-weekly Lighthouse blog about blindness and low vision. The blog covers topics of interest to those living with blindness and vision impairments. Being a blind journalist and blogger herself, Sandy shares her unique perspective about ways to live and cope with vision loss.