05/14/2026
If you don’t have a pickleball paddle we can set you up with… (swipe over to the next photo)
one of these paddles so you can still support us this summer.
We are having our annual fundraiser to raise funds for our students to keep the program free of tuition!
Come and play some pickleball or just hang out. Details below:
July 18, 2026
7-10pm
2121 N Clybourn Ave
Why you should support FreshLens:
FreshLens Chicago is a tuition-free photography program for Chicago youth who don’t usually get a shot at arts education. For the past ten years, we’ve put cameras in the hands of middle and high school students across 53 zip codes, taught them how to use them, and watched what happens when a kid realizes their perspective is worth something. We’ve served over 600 students, given away more than 550 cameras, and built a community of instructors, alumni, and partners who keep showing up. 95% of our students go on to college. 98% say the program made them more creative. Photography is the doorway, but what we’re really building is confidence, voice, and a sense that the city belongs to them too. That work runs entirely on the people who believe in it. Supporting FreshLens means a kid gets a camera, a class, a gallery wall with their name on it, and ten more years of this.
