West Dundee art therapist enjoys all art forms, even belly dancing

Tricia Saviano Hammer of East Dundee is an art therapist and licensed counselor working on a Ph.D., who owns and operates Artisticology at 111 W. Main St. in West Dundee. She's also an artist herself ... and a belly dancer.

While belly dancing is an art form most associated with the Middle East, Saviano Hammer said she enjoys all types of art, including dance. She learned how to do the specialty dancing while studying for a master's degree at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, nearly a decade ago. She had an assignment for a class where she was required to do something healthy for herself. The dancing and exercise seemed a perfect match.

"I was always intrigued by it and decided to sign up for a class," said Saviano Hammer, 36.

She mastered the belly dance class and continued to do it for exercise, even now when her twin daughters, 3 1/2 years old, join her, she said.

"This is still something I do pretty much for me and now my daughters love to do it with me," she said.

Yet art is what she promotes at Artisticology, also known as the study of being artistic. The idea for the business came during her college days as well, she said.

In 2002, she was in a car accident in Colorado and her right arm and hand were broken. She has a 4 1/2-inch plate and six screws in her arm. The injury hampered her love of pottery and working with a pottery wheel. She decided to switch her love of art to painting and mixed media.

Then while she was attending graduate school in New Mexico, she got the idea for a business that used art as therapy. She modeled her businesses after one such venture that she saw in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she said.

By December 2010, she opened Artisticology in West Dundee. Four days later, she learned she was pregnant with twins. That didn't stop her mission to give people the opportunity to create art, regardless of the person's skill level. The whole process also fosters a sense of learning, joy and growth among participants, she said.

"I wanted to make it accessible to the community and we are open to walk-ins as well," she said.

She said the business has two areas. One is art therapy for the community, where people can be creative. The other is her counseling practice.

Because business has been increasing, Saviano Hammer recently took on a new business partner, Crystal Starr Miller, 36 of Carpentersville. Miller handles the entertainment portion, that includes painting glasses and pottery, painting parties and walk-ins. Classes are offered to men, women and children of all ages who are seeking fun and relaxation in an art-focused setting.

The business sees about 40 people on the entertainment side every week, while the counseling portion could see about 15 clients a week.

In addition, Saviano Hammer is a therapist on contract with other places, including Countryside Association in Palatine, Hamilton Academy in West Dundee and elsewhere.

"Art can be an ice breaker, it can go hand in hand with art therapy and counseling," she said.

From London to Naperville

Martyn Dean has become the new senior vice president and executive creative director at Rhea + Kaiser in Naperville. Originally from England, Dean began in London as an art director with Cogent Elliot and AMV VVDO before becoming a creative director with other agencies. Dean moved to Chicago in 2001 and has worked for other agencies, including OgilvyOne Worldwide.

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