Love of art inspires new school

Art and Soul offers drawing and multimedia art classes to kids, adults and seniors. | Jackie Pilossoph~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: November 20, 2012 11:32AM

NORTHBROOK — Pam Tokowitz has always loved working with kids.

The Northbrook mother of two teenagers, who has been both a social worker and a teacher, also has a passion for art, and now, she’s combining the two.

Tokowitz recently opened Art and Soul, an art school in Northbrook that offers beginning and intermediate art classes to kids, adults and seniors.

“Art is such a great outlet and studies show that it increases intelligence,” said Tokowitz, who has a Masters degree in social work, and who has taught art for several different North Shore art programs, including the Northbrook YMCA, Apachi Preschool, and Greenbriar Elementary. “It stretches the mind to think creatively and to think outside the box.”

Tokowitz and three other artists, all graduate students, teach the classes, which range in size from three to 10 students.

“There is so much pressure and so many activities that are competitive out there,” Tokowitz said, “Here there’s not a lot of pressure. There’s no right or wrong. Under instruction and by learning some basic techniques, people can enjoy the process of creating something.”

“I’m very excited about Pam’s classes,” said Beth Shabelman, whose daughter, Sloane was a student of Tokowitz’s at Apachi, “She’s very creative and super fun and energetic. She taught the kids about famous artists, but she talked to them on their level.”

Art and Soul offers traditional drawing instruction, but the school also has multimedia classes that involve paint, collage, sketch, and assemblage, and a music and art, Glee-themed class for special needs children.

“I came up with the idea for this class because a good friend of mine who has a daughter with Down’s Syndrome said her daughter loves Glee,” said Tokowitz, “It’s a theme a lot of these kids identify with, and there’s a connection with the music.”

Most of the classes at Art and Soul are once a week for one hour, and have a nine week session. The cost of a class is approximately $17 per hour.

Art and Soul also offers special workshops and parties for kids and adults, for occasions such as birthday parties, girl’s nights out, and couple’s nights out.

Beth Goldberg’s daughter, Madeline was a student of Tokowitz’s and said can remember Tokowitz teaching her daughter about Chagall.

“Pam takes adult art and makes it kid friendly,” she said, “I still have some of the projects Madeline made that year.”

Art and Soul has been open for a few of weeks, but its grand opening, which is a fundraiser for Links, is set for this Saturday.

Links is a North Shore Health Center that empowers young people to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and sexuality. Tokowitz has been a volunteer for the organization for two years, and said she wanted to raise awareness about Links while welcoming the community to her new venture.

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