Bucktown-Based Academy To Launch Whole Child Arts Nonprofit

CHICAGO — The early childhood arts center and preschool Bubbles Academy is commemorating its 15th anniversary with the launch of a nonprofit dubbed Whole Child Arts, which aims to bring arts education to young kids in underserved areas of Chicagoland. Founded in 2003, the Bucktown-based Bubbles Academy provides new parents with a "home away from home" during the first five years of their child's development. The academy offers a range of parent-child classes.

Natalie Monterastelli, the center's executive director, said the academy has spent the past 15 years developing lifelong relationships with families.

"After our move to our new home at 2184 N Elston just over a year ago, we are anxious to share the Bubbles approach with the greater community," Monterastelli said in a media release. "We’ve seen the impact of supporting new parents from the first weeks of their child’s life through kindergarten and we plan to extend the reach of our programming through our new nonprofit organization, Whole Child Arts.”

The new nonprofit will be dedicated to bringing arts education to children from birth to five years in underserved areas of Chicago, Monterastelli said.

To jumpstart fundraising and awareness efforts for Whole Child Arts, Bubbles Academy is hosting an event at their Bucktown location, 2184 N Elston, to bring together past, present and future Bubbles Academy families. The Bubblespalooza: 15th Anniversary Celebration & Music Fest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 2-7 p.m.

The event will include an afternoon of music, bounce houses, special guest performances and other festival activities with Bubbles Academy Teaching Artists. Click here for tickets to the event.

The academy is also kicking off fundraising efforts for a new Nature Playground to serve as a gathering area for free arts programming for the community. The playground will be the "centerpiece of community building" at the Bucktown location, with free arts, nature and inquiry-based programs held there weekly, the center said.

Images courtesy of Bubbles Academy; provided.