Celebrating South Side Stories, a daylong multi-venue event for all ages featuring art, music, film and food, is the latest in a series of community-driven public programs produced in collaboration with Art Design Chicago, a yearlong celebration of Chicago’s art and design legacy spearheaded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Slated for September 15 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., this free public program will highlight Art Design Chicago exhibitions and projects on the South Side of Chicago, and shine a spotlight on the important South Side institutions and creatives who have contributed to Chicago’s vibrant art and design scene, past and present.
The September 15th events will be hosted at eight South Side institutions, including the DuSable Museum of African American History (740 E. 56th Place), Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Avenue), Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago (5550 S. Greenwood Avenue) and the South Side Community Art Center (3831 S. Michigan Avenue), among others. The day’s festivities kick off at 11 a.m. at the DuSable Museum with a speaking program and light breakfast.
Free trolley transportation between venues will be provided from 12 to 6 p.m.
The day will culminate with a free concert performance by Columbia College Jazz Ensemble featuring Maggie Brown at the DuSable Museum’s Roundhouse. The following admission-free Art Design Chicago exhibitions will also be open to attendees:
- South Side Stories – The Time is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago’s South Side, 1960-1980 at Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, running Sept. 13 through Dec. 30, 2018;
- South Side Stories – The Art and Influence of Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs at the DuSable Museum of African American History, running Sept. 13, 2018 through March 4, 2019; and
- A Johnson Publishing Story at Stony Island Arts Bank (6760 S Stony Island Avenue), running through Sept. 30, 2018
A selection of family-friendly events throughout the day include:
- Sticks and Tape with The Floating Museum, Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, 12 – 3 p.m.;
- A collaborative building exercise for all ages, The Floating Museum team will guide participants through the process of creating temporary, large-scale sculptures relying on humble materials; and
- Johnson Publishing Stories with Maggie Brown, Stony Island Arts Bank, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
A special storytelling performance featuring musician and artist Maggie Brown interpreting memories and the historic legacy of the Johnson Publishing Company offices, formerly located at 820 S. Michigan Avenue.
- Printing and Placemaking, DuSable Museum of African American History, 1 – 4 p.m.;
- Art-making activities where visitors can create their own linocut masterpiece in Dr. Burroughs’ iconic style, as well as design their own museum using a blueprint of the DuSable museum and collage-making materials. (Suitable for older children and adults.);
- Art-Making Activities, Hyde Park Art Center, 1 – 4 p.m.;
- Do What Ralph Does: 1968-2018, an opportunity for visitors to try their hand at collage-making in the style of Chicago artist Ralph Arnold, who showed his work at the Art Center in the 1960s and is the subject of an upcoming Art Design Chicago exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, The Many Hats of Ralph Arnold: Art, Identity & Politics, opening Oct. 11;
- What’s Your Bag?, offering a chance to silkscreen and take home a tote bag with one of Ralph Arnold’s trademark count- er-cultural phrases from the 1960s;
- Cha Cha Collage, an art project led by artist Mary Tepper that has been inspired by Hairy Who artist Suellen Rocca’s painting, “Cha Cha Couple”; and
- Solid Gold Saturday, Hyde Park Art Center, 1 – 5 p.m.
Featuring live art, musical performances, refreshments and opportunities to visit artist studios at the Art Center:
- Performance by DJ Duane Powell, Stony Island Arts Bank, 2 – 4 p.m.
- Rebuild Foundation Resident DJ Duane Powell will bring his unique blend of soul, acid jazz, house and more back to the newly remodeled lounge and bar at Stony Island Arts Bank. Visitors can enjoy art and light refreshments while listening to a soulful groove.
- The Alley LP: Perspectives & Recollections Listening Party, Smart Museum of Art at The University of Chicago, 3 – 4:30 p.m.
This limited release LP features interviews about The Alley, a space on the South Side that hosted regular Sunday gatherings of musicians, artists, poets, and neighbors, on the occasion of The Time Is Now! exhibition. Join the project organizers—Sojourner Scholars alumni and Smart Museum of Art docents—for an intimate listening party featuring recorded interviews and albums related to The Alley.
- Avery R. Young & De Deacon Board, Stony Island Arts Bank, 4 – 5 p.m.
Performance by multidisciplinary artist, 3Arts Award-winning teaching artist, composer and producer Avery R. Young and his music project De Deacon Board.
- Columbia College Jazz Ensemble with Maggie Brown, DuSable Museum of African American History, 5 – 6 p.m.
A concert performance at the Roundhouse at the DuSable Museum where the audience will hear music that inspired artists and civil rights activists throughout history on the South Side and beyond. A renowned jazz musician and vocalist, Brown is the daughter of Oscar Brown, Jr., a musician and activist known for his work in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Additionally, participating partners will offer the following activities throughout the day:
- Caught in the Light, South Side Community Art Center, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
An exhibition by the Chicago Alliance of African American Photographers captures the vibrancy of summer on the South Side of Chicago.
- Exhibition Tours, Smart Museum of Art at The University of Chicago, 12 – 2 p.m.
A series of brief tours highlighting specific themes and artworks in The Time Is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago’s South Side, 1960-1980.
- Art Moves: Chicago’s Innovative Structures of Address, Museum of Vernacular Arts and Knowledge (Various Locations), 12 – 3 p.m.
Based on grassroots models of circulating information about black art to residents on the South Side from the late 1960s and 70s, arts educators will teach visitors about lesser known Chicago artists and genres.
Public Tour, Stony Island Arts Bank, 1 – 4 p.m.
Take a guided tour of the Stony Island Arts Bank to learn more about the building’s history, restoration, and the collections it houses.
- Washington Park Walking Tour, Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Drive), 1– 3 p.m.;
- Tour presented by the Chicago Parks Foundation, reservations required, visit ArtDesignChicago. org to purchase tickets;
- 15th Annual Collectors Home Tour Preview, Diasporal Rhythms (4744 S. Champlain Ave), 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.;
- An hour-long tour of D.E. Simmons’ home and art collection, reservations required, visit https://bit.ly/2MkKqzn to reserve tickets; and
- Art Worlds of the South Side, DuSable Museum of African American History, 3 – 4 p.m.
This film series will screen five recently discovered short films that document grassroots art spaces and institutions on the South Side, focusing on the work of Dr. Margaret Burroughs. A panel discussion with Skyla Hearn of the DuSable Museum and Candace Ming of the South Side Home Movie Project will take place at 4pm. Presented by South Side Projections, South Side Home Movie Project and DuSable Museum of African American History.
A full schedule of events is forthcoming. For more information, please visit ArtDesignChi- cago.org.
About Art Design Chicago
Art Design Chicago is a spirited celebration of the unique and vital role Chicago plays as America’s crossroads of creativity and commerce. Spearheaded by the Terra Foundation for American Art, this citywide partnership of more than 75 cultural organizations explores Chicago’s art and design legacy and continued impact with more than 30 exhibitions, hundreds of events, as well as the creation of several scholarly publications and a four-part television series presented throughout 2018.
Support for Art Design Chicago is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and Presenting Partner, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Additional funding for the initiative is provided by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. The Chicago Community Trust, Leo Burnett, Polk Bros. Foundation, and EXPO CHICAGO are providing in-kind support. www.ArtDesignChicago.org #ArtDesign- Chicago
About Terra Foundation for American Art
Since it was established in 1978, the Terra Foundation for American Art has been one of the leading foundations focused on the historical art of the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, it is committed to fostering exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of American art among national and international audiences. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research, and educational programs. Implicit in such activities is the belief that art has the potential both to distinguish cultures and to unite them. The foundation also provides opportunities for interaction and study through the presentation and ongoing development of its own art collection in Chicago, recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art. www.TerraAmericanArt.org
