NAC is a non-profit grassroots volunteer group from all walks of life, ages, professions, and neighborhoods. We believe that Arts and Culture are a vital and unique part of the toolkit for thriving communities. We identify creative ways to support our local talent in a way that distinguishes our area of the city and elevates our neighborhoods as a lively, vibrant cultural destination. Our work helps position us as liaisons between local artists and political, cultural, and social institutions so that together we can all facilitate and foster this cultural transformation on the Northwest Side of Chicago, where we work, live, and play.
We are part of a growing movement to foster creative placemaking, a process where the public, private and community partners strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood or town through arts and cultural activities. NAC knows how to help community groups partner together, how to maintain efforts, how to get beyond the traditional silos and boundaries, and how to envision, plan and execute projects. These are vital skills to ensure that arts-and-culture programs build real engagement within the community and that they are successful and sustainable.
We are part of a growing movement to foster creative placemaking, a process where the public, private and community partners strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood or town through arts and cultural activities. NAC knows how to help community groups partner together, how to maintain efforts, how to get beyond the traditional silos and boundaries, and how to envision, plan and execute projects. These are vital skills to ensure that arts-and-culture programs build real engagement within the community and that they are successful and sustainable.
The focus of our community-building through the arts is what we refer to as the Northwest Side of Chicago -Division Street north to the Chicago city limits and the Chicago River west to the city limits.
If you live, work, play here, or just want to participate in a significant way, we warmly welcome you.
Our team is comprised of dedicated, energetic, and friendly Northwest Siders from all walks of life.
We are united by our passion for the arts and for our communities.
Ron is an attorney, focusing on public and private business affairs. He currently serves as President of the Mayfair Civic Association and has served over 25 years on the board of the North River Commission and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, and is president of both. He is actively engaged in historic preservation and the arts community.
Carma is a business consultant specializing in market research. She also has experience in marketing creative individuals’ work as well as over four years of leadership experience with grassroots non-profits. Driven by a love of words and images, she is a writer and photographer.
Wendy Jo has more than 30 years of experience in community organizing and development. Her work includes sitting on several community boards. She has served as the president of the North River Commission and of the Old Irving Park Association. A visual artist and singer herself, she has taught music and art in the Chicago Public Schools.
A multimedia artist, Grace is a one-woman art house, producing photography, video, graphics, and animation. She is a first-generation Polish-American with a love for technology, education, and the environment. Her passion in life is to use her skills to help people by sharing their stories and promoting local talent and services.
Enrique is an education consultant and teacher of different curriculum styles. He works in the arts as a researcher, writer, curator and visual arts consultant. He is also a practicing artist who creates installations, working with a variety of materials. As an active member of his community, he leads the transformation of public spaces into art places.
Marlena is an organizational development consultant and management/leadership trainer. She has also taught at area colleges and universities. Prior to founding NAC, she served on the board and later as President of the Old Irving Park Association, where she managed the transformation of several viaducts into beautiful public art spaces.
Join us and be a part of enriching our Northwest Side communities through the arts. Let’s chat and see how you can become a part of our mission.
Join us and be a part of enriching our Northwest Side communities through the arts. Find out what you can do to become a partner of our organization.