Hear We Art with GCYC Mentor Artist EDO! for Teens 14-20 (RSVP needed)

Hear We Art™ is ILA's interactive and educational art experience fusing visuals and sound for an immersive community experience. This unique community experience helps us connect with community members in an intimate setting to encourage awareness around cognitive skill-building while connecting attendees to local teaching artists.

We use these workshops as an opportunity to bridge the gap on our commonalities in this human experience through creative interaction, facilitated by a local artist and co-facilitated with a healing practitioner. Our goal in these sessions is to help members of our community from all walks of life learn new, decompressive ways to connect and to optimize participants' emotional vocabulary and awareness. Enabling them to identify and express their feelings more accurately and profoundly.

By doing so, individuals can achieve greater self-awareness, foster meaningful connections, navigate societal challenges with resilience, and harness their emotions as a source of personal power and social change.

Facilitated by Wellness Practictioner: Candis Oakley of Very Human Social and long-time GCYC Mentor Artist EDO

To learn more about ILA Creative Studio visit: www.ilacreativestudio.com

EDO (Eddie Santana White) is a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist, fashion, graphic, and industrial designer from the south side of Chicago. His style, which he calls Infinite Inception, is about discovery, truth, and inspiration. Don’t expect to capture everything within a single viewing, rather, every viewing reveals something new, something different, and something infinite. EDO began his career as a designer in Chicago where he has worked with leading urban clothing brands, including Leaders 1354, Joe Fresh Goods, Treated Crew and Fat Tiger. His work will be featured in the brand elements and creative imagery for the Chicago Marathon! EDO has been an Artist Mentor through our partner Pigment International for nearly two years know and is a Co-founder of the Chicago Youth Art Expo hosted before art week at The Study Hotel @ UChicago. Most recently, EDO provided a sketch for our youth artists to collaborate on together as part of our We Walk Here community art and underpass safety project.

Learn about Edo's work here

Candis Oakley, E-RYT 200, yoga instructor, facilitator, and founder of Very Human Social (VHS), is driven by a vision to redefine wellbeing and create a culture of belonging through experiences that reconnect individuals with their bodies. Her work, blending mindfulness and social justice with scientifically-backed wellness strategies based on somatic principles, aims to deepen emotional understanding and promote self-acceptance. This approach not only fosters personal transformation but also champions a movement towards a more inclusive wellness industry where everyone feels seen and nurtured, showcasing Candis's commitment to impactful change.

Learn more about Candis' work