Janie Flores to Debut “Joy in Resilience” Art Journals at Salud Chicago Gala
Key Takeaways
- •Janie Flores will present the five-journal series 'Joy In Resilience' at Salud Chicago's inaugural gala on September 16, 2026, at the National Museum of Mexican Art.
- •The gala will benefit Salud Chicago's nonprofit community mental health work.
- •Each journal incorporates reclaimed materials, including protest signs, discarded papers, vintage items, repurposed fabrics, and handmade art from Oaxacan artisans of the Mexico Cultura y Orgullo collective.
- •According to the press release, the materials tell a story about the interconnectedness of immigrant life in Chicago and reflect experiences shared by immigrant communities across the United States.
- •Flores founded Janie's Art Journals in 2023 after returning to paper arts following the loss of her mother, transforming landfill-bound materials into works centered on storytelling, sustainability, and healing.
Chicago paper artist Janie Flores will present a new series of handmade art journals at Salud Chicago’s inaugural gala on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the National Museum of Mexican Art. The event will benefit Salud Chicago’s nonprofit community mental health work.
Titled “Joy In Resilience,” the series comprises five journals celebrating the resilience of Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. Each journal incorporates reclaimed materials, including protest signs and items collected from local communities and businesses, as well as discarded papers, vintage materials, repurposed fabrics, and handmade art sourced from Oaxacan artisans in the Mexico Cultura y Orgullo collective.
According to the press release, the materials tell a story about the interconnectedness of immigrant life in Chicago and reflect lived realities shared by immigrant communities throughout 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 series reflects the mission of Janie’s Art Journals, a sustainable art initiative founded in 2023 that transforms materials bound for landfills—including old books, cardboard packaging, vintage papers, reclaimed fabrics, and other found materials—into unique handmade works of art. In that sense, the gala will offer attendees a direct look at how the initiative connects reuse with personal and community storytelling.
Flores, a former award-winning publicist, radio host, and conference speaker, returned to paper arts during a deeply personal period after the loss of her mother. What began as a creative outlet and a way to process grief has developed into an initiative focused on storytelling, sustainability, connection, curiosity, and healing.
“Joy In Resilience” extends that philosophy through a broader 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, each element carries part of a larger story. The journals function as both art and archive, preserving fragments of community life while reimagining them as something new.
Presenting the series at Salud Chicago’s inaugural gala is significant because the event will support ongoing community mental health work while bringing together art, community, and a shared commitment to making mental health resources more accessible in affirming, community-rooted ways. The presentation therefore places Flores’s sustainability and healing-focused practice within an event whose stated purpose also centers community well-being.
The gala will run from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608. Additional event information is available at .
Flores’s work has also been featured on social media. Her artist website is . She maintains a Facebook page at and an Instagram account at .
Janie’s Art Journals said it is honored to be among the artists presenting work and will introduce “Joy In Resilience” during an evening focused on community, culture, creativity, and connection.
