Reese San Diego, Teaching Artist

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Reese San Diego is a Chicago-based artist and community organizer whose work is rooted in joy, care, and collective creativity. As a multidisciplinary creator — working across illustration, painting, fiber art, and digital design — Reese’s practice uplifts storytelling, accessibility, and the beauty of everyday connection. Their art centers their identities as an Asian-American, queer, and rural-raised creative, exploring the intersections of belonging, resistance, and self-definition. 

With experience spanning community organizing, mutual aid work, graphic design, and teaching, Reese brings a deeply intentional, people-first approach to their role at The Children’s Gallery Chicago. They have led design and media projects for grassroots organizations, supported youth and young adults through one-on-one educational work, and collaborated on public humanities projects with an emphasis on cultural humility and ethical storytelling. 

At TCGC, Reese supports our pop-ups, workshops, and youth programming with a calm presence, sharp design instincts, and a genuine belief that creative spaces can transform lives. They are committed to helping young people feel seen, celebrated, and empowered, in addition to building community through art that is accessible, joyful, and unapologetically expressive.

When they’re not facilitating or designing, you can find Reese crafting something soft and handmade, creating vibrant illustrations, or building community through local mutual aid networks.