Art and inspiration from Corita and Jane Addams

Arts has been part of social work since its founding. Founding mother Jane Addams stressed the importance of the arts in our daily lives. One of her first acts at Hull House in Chicago was to put art prints on the walls of the old place. That was followed by Sunday afternoon art study groups.

But Addams didn't stop there. She also believed there is an artist in every one of us. To bring out this creative spirit, she and the other women at Hull House started an art studio, a pottery studio and a book bindery.

They also started several theater groups, including one of the earliest children's theater companies in the US and another theater group which was a forerunner of today's community theater.

Hull House was also host to a many music and dance groups, including a modern dance troupe and a marching band.

Addams saw art not only as an inspiration, but also as a way to bring people together and a platform for learning about each other.

Corita Kent might have felt right at home at Hull House. A native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Corita was an extraordinary example of an artist who also believed all of us are creative. She used art as a form of social activism and as a way to celebrate ordinary life. Her serigraphs in the 1960s and '70s urged viewers to work for peace and justice and "love the moment."

Corita (she was known by her first name) was an art teacher at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles for a number of her ideas. It was there that she tested her ideas on art -- and on teaching. Those ideas have been collected into a book, "Learning by heart," and a film, "Corita on teaching and celebration."

Together, Corita and Addams offer a lot of inspiration for social work. They show us how to use the arts not only in our work, but in every aspect of our lives.