Gallery 111’s mission is to provide arts exposure and education in core subject areas. It is our belief that The Arts supplement, heighten and expand our school curriculum.
Due to the rigorous nature of the academic structure at Skinner, arts programming reinforces student learning in a creative way. In addition to benefiting academics, we also see The Arts as a tool to promote higher order and abstract thinking skills in students. The Arts appeal to the whole child and provide opportunities to embrace our cultural differences. We encourage students to become well-rounded individuals and work to instill a lifelong love of learning.
Gallery 111 programming includes:
Kindergarteners learned about drama through stories and music in 4-week residency with Tiny Tunemakers.
1st grade learned dances from around the world with Dancing with Class.
3rd graders are working with Playmakers while our 4th graders have partnered with the Poetry Center.
5th graders are building critical literacy skills using drama and immersion into an engaging story with Play in a Book.
8th graders visit with Steppenwolf for a field trip to see Chlorine Sky.
About Us
Gallery111 was founded in 2004 by two teachers, Jennifer Christiansen and Natalie Huber who believed that exposure to the arts promoted critical thinking skills, creativity, and bolstered academic achievement. Over the past 19 years, since its inception, Gallery111 has sponsored over 180 arts opportunities for our Skinner Students and their families. Our name stems from our former address of the building that once stood on these same grounds. At that time, Skinner’s address was 111 South Throop St.
We work with arts partners from all around the city to bring in a variety of art mediums to enhance our core curriculum. Programs include artist in residency experiences, field trips, and workshops. A residency is when we have a professional artist visit our classrooms for a set amount of sessions to provide instruction alongside our teachers.
There are a few ways to get involved throughout the year. Our biggest fundraiser is our annual gala. The funds we raise pay for next year’s arts programming at Skinner West.