“Where most people see trash, we see beauty.”

As the target for bullying growing up, founder Mitchell Pennell was the fat kid interested in art, music, theatre and anything else that wasn’t cool. His only escape from torture was creativity.  As an adult, Mitchell realize his freedom to create possibly saved him from alternate scenarios too often ending in tragedy.

Chicago Lost and Found’s sole mission is to provide an outlet for anyone in similar situations. For Mitchell, creativity provides freedom and  he’s on a mission to share that opportunity.

Even the smallest gift is powerful and you can help right now. For the price of a cup of coffee, you become part of our mission. Consider this; if everyone reading this paragraph responds

with a minimal contribution of $5.00, $10.00, or even $20.00, collectively you have the power to provide monumental funding for our purpose. Unlike some organizations, we don’t operate with huge overhead in salaries or administration costs. Your dollars directly fund hands-on art education and provide jobs for teachers and artists as well as clean up the world.

You are doing a wonderful thing to encourage and share creativity.

In a Nutshell

The Mission: Chicago Lost and Found provides art education and facilitates creative experiences by re-purposing discarded materials. We infuse value through transformation to validate, inspire and serve the community.

The “Focus-4” of Chicago Lost and Found:

• Collection: We rescue what is considered worthless materials or “junk” from a variety of resources including alleys, dumpsters, construction and demo sites, attics and basements.
• Creation:The collected medium is re-imagined by artists in our studio creating works of art, home and personal accessories and decorative objects.
• Distribution: The art pieces are sold in a variety of outlets including our website, Chicago Lost and Found fund-raising events and commissioned installations.
• Contribution: Proceeds from sales combined with other funding sources support our primary mission of art education. Classes, workshops and a variety of programs are designed to meet the agenda for outlets where there is a need for creative programming.

Donate today!

Part One:

Part Two:

Chicago Lost and Found is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creative transformation. We are committed to rescuing the discarded and unwanted. Through re-purposing, we create value, which in turn provides creative opportunities to build and support the community.

The centerpiece of the organization is the Creative Studio. This is where Chicago Lost and Found provides employment for artists, seamstresses, carpenters and other craftsmen to create art from junk and discarded materials found in alleys, dumpsters, construction and demolition sites or anyplace where refuse hides. Finished works are sold through exclusive retail establishments and the Chicago Lost and Found website. All proceeds fund our educational outreach.

We are preparing to initiate new creative programs through the educational outreach at Chicago Lost and Found to launch in early 2011. This rollout will include classes and workshops for children and adults, focusing on reusable products such as plastics, paper, glass, electronic parts, textiles and natural fibers. We have formed partnerships with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and Hawthorne Scholastic Academy. We will continue to create new partnerships and programs in the future to expand our reach and increase our impact.

This is a very exciting time for Chicago Lost and Found as we introduce many new programs and involve more and more people that are stepping up to make a difference. I am thrilled to announce our Christmas tree skirt is featured in the November holiday issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. With the distribution reaching 7.5 million readers, you can only imagine what’s going on in our studio trying to keep up with the orders. I feel like I’m sewing in my sleep most nights.

While launching a nonprofit such as Chicago Lost and Found presents constant challenges, my enthusiasm and commitment have stayed on course. I am passionate about this mission and believe when we work together, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. This theory is evident in the pieces we create from junk.

A unique facet of Chicago Lost and Found is that everyone can be involved. Whether you contribute financially or give your time, become a student or teacher, volunteer or have junk we can use, we hope you will jump on this wagon as we move forward to make a difference.

Regards,

Mitch