Art Encounter

Art Encounter is an arts education non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1978, with a mission to educate, empower, and connect people of all ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. Art Encounter brings art to people and people to art through domestic and international travel tours of galleries, private collections, museums and artist studios. Our community service programs include robust community mural arts, in-school art education programs for public school low- income, minority children and youth, and seniors living in institutional settings. This position is an exciting opportunity for the ED to continue to strengthen the organization’s infrastructure, financial support, and community relationships, ensuring that our established, successful programs continue to grow and thrive well into the future.

Our History

Art Encounter was founded by three artists who believe that “there are many ways to see”, and that meaningful and collaborative encounters with art can lead to a greater understanding of the creative process, heightened self-knowledge, and improved social and cultural sensitivity. Over the course of our 41-year history, we have developed a broad menu of interpretive and hands-on programs that proudly serve people of all ages and backgrounds-- from public school children to nursing home residents, from Englewood to Evanston, from young adults to retirees seeking lifelong learning. The cohesive thread between all our programs is the “art encounter”: an engaging, inclusive approach to learning, rooted in the power of bringing people together through art.

In the last four years we have grown substantially, both in staff and in new programming. The current annual budget is just over $500,000. Looking to create long-term sustainability for the organization, in 2016 we underwent a strategic plan which resulted in a decision to hire our first ever Executive Director. An experienced Interim Executive Director has been working with the organization since October 2018 and will step down upon the hiring of the new Executive Director.