Photos: Yuan Jiang
Innocence, 2019
Yuan Jiang, Ziggy Shen
Inspired by the architectural design of Anthony Overton Elementary, Innocence as an installation questions the integrity of public school systems, the effects and racial violence inherent in redlining, and protecting children’s rights to education.
Primary
Primary is a series of collaborative projects in conversation with the Chicago Architecture Biennial’s ...And other such stories at Anthony Overton Elementary. In response to Chicago’s rich cultural landscape and the historic Bronzeville community, first year students at the School of the Art Institute were invited to create research-based artwork exploring education as legacy through mediums of photography, painting, drawing and installation.
Featured Projects:
Innocence, Yuan Jiang, Ziggy Shen
Kids Care, Micki Bryson, Ashley Henderson, Briana Pizarro
A Place of Beginning, Isabella Post, Victoria Shauchuk, Amber Wang
Spacial Remembrance, Phoebe Heng, Ace Huang, Alana Whalen
Overton, Kevin Hock, Stone River Mannikko, Natan Vales
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Students:
Micki Bryson, Ashley Henderson, Phoebe Heng, Kevin Hock, Ace Huang, Yuan Jiang, Stone River Mannikko, Briana Pizarro, Ziggy ShenIsabella Post, Victoria Shauchuk, Natan Vales, Amber Wang, Alana Whalen.
Faculty: Sadie Woods.
Photos: Briana Pizarro
Kids Care, 2019
Micki Bryson, Ashley Henderson, Briana Pizarro
Kids Care queries the media’s use of weaponized stories and stereotypes of the Southside, the shortcomings of the Chicago Public Schools and how it affects aspirations and the trajectory of young black children. Through photography and sound installation, this work exhibits images of Chicago youth and sound bites from news coverage used to criminalize vulnerable communities. The viewer is invited to think about the agency and voice of children and laws and policy in education.
Photos: Victoria Shauchuk
A Place of Beginning, 2019
Isabella Post, Victoria Shauchuk, Amber Wang
A Place of Beginning is based on cultural memory, policies on equality, and building borderless communities to revision Anthony Overton Elementary as a continuity of Bronzeville’s rich history and legacy of black entrepreneurship. The audience is invited to interact with a map of Chicago’s south side neighborhoods exploring available resources and reimagine community building through shared resources to “bring awareness and visibility to issues of social equity in places that need to be seen in a larger mental map” - Paola Aguirre.
Photos: Phoebe Heng
Spatial Remembrance, 2019
Phoebe Heng, Ace Huang, Alana Whalen
Spatial Remembrance explores the culture of Anthony Overton Elementary and historic Bronzeville neighborhood through research and installation work. An enclosed tent structure filled with furniture reminiscent of school desks and colorful bean bags recreate a classroom feel while providing a leisure space for guests to read reflections from Overton alumni and Bronzeville community members on the impact of the school’s closing.
Photos: Kevin Hock
Overton, 2019
Kevin Hock, Stone River Mannikko, Natan Vales
Overton gives visibility to the people of Anthony Overton Elementary and the Bronzeville neighborhood. Through an installation of spray chalk footprints, the viewer is invited to walk in the footsteps of former students, teachers and staff of Overton and imagine the importance of education and community centers for children. Further participation invites the viewer to share memories of impactful school experiences and to reimagine Overton as a community center through creating a communal mural of image and text.
