Chicago paper artist Janie Flores, founder of Janie’s Art Journals, has created a special series of five handmade art journals titled “Joy In Resilience” for Salud Chicago’s Inaugural Gala, an event supporting the nonprofit’s community mental health work. The gala will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the National Museum of Mexican Art, located at 1852 W. 19th Street in Chicago. The series celebrates the resilience of Chicago’s neighborhoods as they navigate daily challenges to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The “Joy In Resilience” journals are constructed from reclaimed materials, including protest signs, discarded papers, vintage materials, repurposed fabrics, and items gathered from local communities and businesses. The series also incorporates handmade art sourced from Oaxacan artisans in the Mexico Cultura y Orgullo collective. Together, these elements tell a story about the interconnectedness of immigrant life in Chicago and reflect lived realities shared by immigrant communities across the United States.
“This series celebrates the incredible resilience that exists within our communities,” Flores said. “Our communities continue to thrive amidst uncertainty, fear and struggle, because there is joy. There is family. There is culture. There is unity. There is hope. That is the joy in resilience.”
The concept aligns with the foundation of Janie’s Art Journals, a sustainable art initiative founded in 2023 that transforms materials destined for landfills—old books, cardboard packaging, vintage papers, reclaimed fabrics, and other found materials—into unique handmade works of art. The initiative emerged from Flores’ return to paper arts following the loss of her mother, growing from a creative outlet for grief into a practice centered on storytelling, sustainability, connection, curiosity, and healing.
“Joy In Resilience” expands that philosophy by asking a larger question: What can discarded materials tell us about the people and communities that refuse to be discarded? From protest signs to packaging from neighborhood businesses, every element carries a piece of a larger story. The journals function as both art and archive, preserving fragments of community life while reimagining them into something new.
The opportunity to present the series at Salud Chicago’s Inaugural Gala is especially meaningful because the event benefits ongoing community mental health work while bringing together art, community, and a shared commitment to making mental health resources more accessible in ways that are affirming and rooted in community. The gala will be held at the National Museum of Mexican Art, and more information is available at https://saludchicago.com/#events.
Janie’s Art Journals is a Chicago-based sustainable art initiative. Each handmade journal is a unique work of art created by reimagining discarded book pages, cardboard packaging, vintage papers, reclaimed fabrics, and other materials. Flores, a former award-winning publicist, radio host, and conference speaker, returned to paper arts as part of her own creative and healing journey. Today, Janie’s Art Journals brings together her love of storytelling, sustainability, art, and community—one repurposed page at a time. More information about the artist’s work is available at https://ko-fi.com/janiesartjournals.
