Our Collective Vision, Celebrated Through Community-Centered Art
Parent leadership has been central to VOCEL’s impact for more than a decade – and in 2025, we jumped at the opportunity to shine a spotlight on this leadership in a new and special way…
At our 2025 Annual Benefit Dinner: IMAGINE, local artists Lea Pinsky and Dustin Harris from Art Encounter created a beautiful live mural celebrating the impact of VOCEL’s community and programming throughout Chicago. The pursuit toward accessible, high-quality early childhood learning for children takes all of us – parents, educators, investors, and innovators – and we were inspired to create an experience for our guests that would honor their collective commitment.
All attendees were invited to reflect: I imagine a Chicago where all children’s early years are filled with… Their responses were captured on lightning bolts added to the mural, becoming tangible and inseparable pieces of its story.
Lea reflects, “There were lots of recurring themes of joy and connectedness, so clearly…the values of VOCEL are really strong among your [members and supporters].”
Patricia “Paty” Blanco is a VOCEL parent leader at Davis Elementary who attended IMAGINE with her fellow Powered by VOCEL leaders, expecting a fun evening of celebration. She never anticipated that Lea and Dustin’s mural would be inspired by a picture of her and Olivia, the spirited young child she cares for, playing together during their weekly VOCEL class. “When I saw it [at the event], I felt like I couldn’t breathe,” Paty says (translated from Spanish). “I even cried! I said, ‘How can this be possible?’”
Fast forward to December – when Lea and Dustin, Paty and her VOCEL cohort of parents and young children, and the Davis Elementary school leadership and administration came together to unveil the newly installed IMAGINE mural.
Today, it hangs just outside of the classroom where they host their weekly VOCEL sessions, a steadfast reminder of Paty’s leadership and her cohort’s dedication to supporting the families at Davis.
Paty shared, “Bringing it to [Davis has] brought me a lot of joy because I feel like I am leaving a part of me here. I love being with the kids and I feel like that holds a lot of significance for the school and for me and the VOCEL mothers. I feel like it is an accomplished goal in my life.”
Lea and Dustin have been in the field of art and arts education for many years and got their start by creating murals in schools. Their faces lit up as they shared, “This is very rewarding for us to be able to return…and beautify a school with a piece that reflects our values and is going to bring so much joy to the community.” Lea beams as she adds, “Truly, our heart is deeply in art for schools.”
We’re honored by Lea and Dustin’s artistry and the Davis community’s commitment to joyful early learning – and grateful to all the individuals who helped co-create this beautiful mural.
Francisco Oliva González, principal of Davis Elementary, emphasizes, “I think [the mural] is a wonderful representation of the partnership that we have with VOCEL, that we are ecstatic to continue for years to come.”
Davis Elementary is a PreK - 8th grade elementary school in the Brighton Park neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side with a vibrant community, and a student experience bolstered by many community partnerships. The dual-language school serves nearly 500 students, with 94% identifying as Latinx and 88% qualifying for free- or reduced-price lunch. VOCEL is committed to bringing our services to communities that don’t already have access to high-quality early learning and parent leadership programming, and we’re proud and grateful to partner with dedicated, passionate individuals like the parents and educators at Davis.
