Help the Art Clay World Art Center! (Chicagoland)

Art Clay World Greater Chicago Artisan Center vid

Please help the Greater Chicago Artisan Center and Art Clay World! Our art center, the only one in our south Chicago area, is in danger of permanent closure due to the pandemic. We've lost hundreds of thousands in revenue; our studios have been empty, our teachers can't safely teach, many of our products have been affected by supply shortages, and our roof even failed thanks to last winter's weather! We've applied for every possible SBA loan, grant, and refinance, but have been waiting for over 6 months with no relief.

We've dedicated our nearly 10,000 square foot art center to providing a safe creative space for all individuals and families, as well as empowering artists to learn and grow in their media. We've hosted dozens of charity benefits and fundraisers - but now we're the ones needing help.

Any and all funds raised through this campaign will be used for repair of our facility, outstanding balances on utilities and taxes, and if any remains towards providing funds to our staff who have forgone paychecks over the last many months. As an idea of our financial obstacles, a new roof was estimated at about $90,000, repairs to the interior of our studios would be about $10,000, annual property taxes are about $75,000... and that's not including what we're behind in mortgage or utilities.

I really struggled with whether or not to start a GoFundMe campaign. To be honest, I didn't want everyone knowing how badly we're really hurting. I wanted to be the place people can come to forget about their own troubles and enjoy making messes with their kids or learning new art techniques with their friends, and not worry our loyal friends and customers with our situation. But my pride has to take a backseat to reality. Multiple employees rely on me for their paychecks, and that means multiple households are at risk the longer we go without being able to pay those folks. Plus, if I have to shut down, I certainly can't be the place people come to at all - no matter what my intentions were. I'm so sorry to have to ask for help, but I feel like I no longer have a choice. I need to take care of my staff and my community, so I need to be here in the future.

Thank you, everyone, for your consideration. I appreciate every single one of you.

Katie Baum, VP Art Clay World USA, Education Director for Greater Chicago Artisan Center