CAPE and Turner: A Collaborative Art Journey
Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) started its art journey with Turner Elementary in 2022. Under the CAPE model, we pair an instructor (public school teacher or paraprofessional) with a professional artist to create a unique arts-integrated curriculum for elementary-high school students and community members. Past curriculum combinations included: fiber art + science, dance + mathematics, and music + SEL. Our goal is to provide a space where learning is collaborative and tailored to the students’ interests.
One success story is the Turner CAPE Community Class. The class started with only 1 adult student in the spring of 2022, but now boasts 30 students. This class was originally designed for adult community members to give them access to art classes based on the CAPE model. However, it was clear that Turner needed a space for all age groups after seeing that multi-generational families wanted to attend.
This past February, the Turner Community Class performed a dance at CAPE’s “The Art of Gathering” exhibit in Bridgeport, Chicago. The grandmothers, mothers, and daughters prepared for three weeks before this performance with the younger generation teaching the older generation the dance steps.
The impact of the Turner CAPE Community Class extends beyond art; it has strengthened family ties and created lasting memories. In a heartfelt video, the Arvizu family shares their thoughts on what the class means to them.
