THE ART OF IT

Laura Harper brings three decades of creative passion and nonprofit leadership to Art Impact Project—and a vision that’s as personal as it is bold.

THERE IS A MOMENT Laura Harper describes—a kind of disappearing act—when a person loses themselves so completely in the act of making art that time dissolves and the noise of daily life falls away.

For Harper, it’s not abstract theory. It’s the experience that shaped her life’s work.

On January 5, Harper stepped into the role of Executive Director at Art Impact Project, the Lake Bluff–based nonprofit that for 12 years has woven art-based programming into the emotional wellness fabric of Lake County. It is, by every measure, a role she was made for.

An accomplished painter, multidisciplinary designer, and seasoned nonprofit executive, Harper brings more than 30 years of experience—eight of them at the leadership helm of organizations where art and human services intersect.

She holds a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Illinois Chicago and remains a working artist. She has taught mural painting to youth in Seattle and Guadalajara, and this year launched community-based healing arts workshops in her own neighborhood.

Her previous work as Executive Director of a mural-based job program for justice-involved teens left a lasting impression.

“I was struck by how painting vibrant murals transformed the kids’ emotional wellness and fostered pride in their community,” she reflects. “Participants found a voice, strengthened their connection to community, and gained self-esteem and optimism for the future.”

The results were measurable: recidivism dropped dramatically.

At Art Impact Project, that philosophy is the mission. Board President Kevin Bishop, who served as Interim Executive Director during the search, put it plainly: “Given Laura’s creative background and her experience leading art-based, community-focused programs, we’re excited to welcome her to the team.”

Harper describes her leadership style as entrepreneurial, inclusive, and transformational. She spent her early career building up a small startup nonprofit with scarce resources, and emerged from it with a finely tuned instinct for assessing organizational needs, engaging stakeholders, and building from within.

Her message to anyone who thinks art isn’t for them is disarming: “Talent or training is not a requirement or even a goal for self-expression. The key to experiencing the healing power of art is process, not product.”

This spring, she’ll put that philosophy center stage with the launch of PRISM, a three-event series exploring personal storytelling, the neuroscience of creativity, and the lived experience of artmaking. The events, expected to draw around 50 attendees each, will unfold at venues across northern Lake County.

To learn more about Art Impact Project or support its programming, visit artimpactproject.org.