Art Encounter is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds through interactive engagement with visual art. All programming is built around the belief that meaningful encounters with original art can open a window to learning and help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
We have three areas of programming:
Interactive art tours and exclusive visits to local artists’ studios, galleries, private collections, and special exhibitions in the Chicago area, plus domestic and international art travel. Programs are open to the public, and members of Art Encounter receive discounts and special access, as well as other benefits throughout the year.
Hands-on educational programs and creative art workshops for public school students, residents of assisted living facilities, and adults with disabilities throughout the Chicago area with fewer resources or access to arts engagement.
Our local public art initiative, bringing world-class murals to the Evanston area and beyond.
We welcome you to learn more about our upcoming programs for the public and more at artencounter.org
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.
Photo by Alyce Henson; artwork by Kelly Sinnapah Mary at the DePaul Art Museum
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Space 900 Gallery | 816 Dempster St, Evanston
Join us for a special exhibition at Space 900 Gallery in Evanston featuring new work by three artists who have painted in our mural program: Molly Z., Miguel A. Del Real, and Dustin Harris, our mural program's co-founder. See what happens when mural artists move their energy from the street to the studio! A portion of proceeds will support Art Encounter and our mural program.
Visit our website for more information on the show, and read on below to learn about each artist's work with our mural program.
Dustin Harris is our mural program's co-founder, as well as a sculptor, painter, and muralist for over two decades. In addition to overseeing all of Art Encounter's mural projects with Lea Pinsky, he has contributed three murals to the program as an artist: first in 2017 with Lea on their collaborative work titled Live Your Dreamat Church St and Darrow St near Mason Park; next in 2018/2023as a solo artist with the vibrant and colorful Portal mural at the South Boulevard CTA underpass; and finally in 2026, he once again partnered with Lea to create a “gateway mural” for Evanston’s Ashland Arts District at Simpson St and Ashland Ave. Artist Website: dustinharris.biz
Molly Zakrajsek a.k.a. Molly Z. (Chicago) is a prolific artist who has worked with us on three community-engaged mural projects. In 2019, she worked with fine art students from Evanston Township High School on a patterned mural at the Grove St Metra underpass, where students contributed their own original patterns within the larger design. In 2022, she painted a bold and bright community-engaged mural at the new Trulee Evanston senior living residence, working with residents and neighbors to paint her original design. Finally, in 2024–25, she led murals in four Wilmette elementary schools with over 400 4th graders, bringing their unique patterning into biomorphic compositions that reflect the identity of each school. Artist Website: mollyz.net
Miguel A. Del Real (Chicago) is an accomplished painter and muralist who worked with us in the summer of 2025 to create our first-ever ground mural for Orrington Plaza in downtown Evanston. The abstracted floral design uses a colorblind-accessible palette to create an immersive, interactive experience for pedestrians and a lovely view from above for those in the nearby Orrington Plaza building. Outside of his work with us in Evanston, he painted the iconic Bears mural on Dempster St and Chicago Ave. Artist Website: delrealink.com