Pros Arts Studio

Pros Arts Studio offers schools a wide range of arts programming tailored to meet their specific needs. With over 30 years of experience in Chicago area schools, we're adept at using the classroom setting to reinforce curriculum, to reach out to low-achieving students, and to unlock the creative abilities of children and educators. Since its inception, Pros Arts has worked with more than 16 local schools. Note that some of these schools have chosen to work continuously with Pros for decades, including Walsh, Ortiz de Dominguez, and Jungman Schools, Galileo and Cooper Academies. Our residencies teach key arts skills while also reinforcing and integrating with other curriculum such as science and language arts. We also offer Parent Arts Workshops that engage parents in their child’s learning and Professional Development Workshops for educators that present strategies for integrating and assessing arts in the classroom. Pros Arts roster of artists all have extensive teaching experience including early childhood, dual language, and special education.
We can provide short-term and full year programming in the visual, performing and media arts including: arts-integrated curriculum units, arts-in-education residencies which culminate in a stage production or exhibition created by the students, full-year or extended day fine arts instruction, and staff development workshops which train teachers in specific art disciplines, cross-curricular arts integration methods, and assessment strategies.
A few key programs in 2008 – 2009 are:

The Art of Change integrates the visual arts (clay) into earth science curriculum and performing arts (circus) into astronomy and will be implemented in 24 classrooms in four schools, funded in part by The Chicago Community Trust and the Polk Bros. Foundation.
Drama Integration with Literacy engages grades 1-5 in an ambitious curriculum weaving together drama and language arts, with an added inter-grade mentorship component in its third year at Cooper Dual Language Academy funded in part by the Fry Foundation.
Pilsen Arts Partnership integrates the arts into the curriculum at Walsh School and also in the community at large. Teachers and artists develop units that integrate the arts with the Open Court Basal Reading series. In addition, the Partnership presents several cultural celebrations with its community organization partners. Initially funded by CAPE (starting in 1993) the Partnership program draws support from various sources.
Multi-Arts Performance Residencies will be conducted at three Chicago Public Schools using the drama, visual arts and music to support social studies and language arts culminating in a stage production. PS Wish You Were Here! with 5th graders at Cooper Academy; Distant Drummers: a Civil War Story with 5th graders at Saucedo Academy, and Fever in Philadelphia 1793 with 7th and 8th graders at Walsh Elementary School. These residencies are funded in part by grants from the Arts in Education Residency program of the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
“Changing Perspectives” Professional Development Institute will TRAIN a mixture of CPS personnel including classroom teachers, fine arts and science specialists on how to deliver and assess integrated arts and science curriculum enhanced by a presentation from Dr. Barbara Greenberg, author of “The Art of Chemistry and the Chemistry in Art”.

To discuss a residency at your school call us at 312/226-7767 or email: info@prosart.org

For more information:

In Residency at Dvorak Park 1119 W Cullerton Chicago, IL 60608

Mailing Address: PO Box 08191 Chicago, Il 60608 Phone: (312) 226-7767 Fax: (312) 226-7012 Email: info@prosarts.org