Awakenings Project

Mission

The Awakenings Project is a grass-roots initiative whose mission is to assist artists with psychiatric illnesses in developing their craft and finding an outlet for their creative abilities through art in all forms. The Awakenings Project also works to raise public awareness and acceptance of the creative talents of people living with psychiatric disorders who work in the fields of fine art, music, literature, and drama.

We assist persons with psychiatric disorders in developing their creative abilities through art in all its forms, and we raise public awareness of those creative talents.The public needs to learn about the creative talents of people with mental illnesses and the artists need work space, exhibit space, and music, drama and literary vehicles, which we provide.

he Awakenings Project has grown over the years to encompass several efforts, including Awakenings Fine Arts, The Awakenings Review, Awakenings Music, and Awakenings Drama. The Awakenings Art Show, which debuted in 1996, is now a regular activity of the Awakenings Fine Arts program, along with the operation of a working art studio. At the Awakenings studio, artists have access to a "drop-in" environment providing a supportive creative environment including work space, friendship, and solitude for those who seek it. The studio, first located in Glen Ellyn, then in Elgin, Illinois, since July 2008, is also used for other functions, such as writing workshops, play rehearsals, and receptions.

Awakenings was the winner of the "Outstanding Contribution to Recovery by a Non-Profit Organization" award from the Irwin Foundation at Celebration Recovery in 2006. We also won a "Stigma Busters" award from Ecker Center at the Elgin Country Club in 2010, and in 2015, we were selected for the 2015 Best of Elgin Awards for Non-Profit Organization. The Best of Elgin Award Program was created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of businesses and organizations in and around Elgin. Their mission is to raise the profile of exemplary companies and entrepreneurs among the press, the business community, and the general public. The selection process does not include nominations, voting, contests or surveys. The Award Program uses only empirical data supplied by independent third-parties as input into their award algorithm.

Although Awakenings mainly serves Chicagoland area artists, we often serve artists throughout the whole state of Illinois, and we travel to produce art exhibitions in other states also. Our literary journal, The Awakenings Review, has an even wider reach, accepting submissions from writers across the country, and even around the world.