Brickton Art Center, Park Ridge

Art makes a community thrive: so goes the philosophy at Brickton Art Center, where class instructors and art therapists aim to get people of all ages into the fun practice of dirtying up their hands and expressing themselves. The center's fine-art lessons cover a variety of media, helping students hone their technical skills while becoming creatively confident enough to draw caricatures of strangers. There are also fun-centric, one-time events held regularly, such as family workshops and BYOB painting nights ("Quench Your Palette").

The center is more than just a classroom: the confines regularly host charity and gallery events. There are also regular exhibitions, showing off the masterpieces of local artists.