Art Connects Us, Volume 25

A wide shot of a ceramics studio, featuring students working with pottery wheels and other tools.

At the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), our community has responded to the current moment as true citizen artists.

Their work demonstrates a belief in our interconnectedness as people and our shared responsibility to make positive change. We know headlines may be overwhelming these days, so below you’ll find good news highlighting the incredible efforts of SAIC’s artists and designers to forge and deepen connections with our communities.

We hope it inspires you for the week ahead.

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 8
Volume 9
Volume 10
Volume 11
Volume 12
Volume 13
Volume 14
Volume 15
Volume 16
Volume 17
Volume 18
Volume 19
Volume 20
Volume 21
Volume 22
Volume 23
Volume 24

A distressed black and orange still from a video game depicting a block in Detroit — From Home Movie. Courtesy of Hyperallergic

Alum Bryan LeBeuf’s Video Game Captures Detroit’s Forgotten Neighborhoods
Since the pandemic has made travel nearly impossible, Hyperallergic spotlighted several video games that offer their own escape. In alum Bryan LeBeuf’s (MFA 2019) Home Movie, you can experience LeBeuf’s hometown of Detroit. Using personal photos and video, LeBeuf tries to capture and bring back to life the neighborhoods of his childhood. read more

An old woman on a front porch shows a young man a folder — Headshot of a woman with curly, brown, just-over-shoulder-length hairr, a black top, and a large, silver, crescent-shaped necklace grins into the camera. Laurinda Bedingfield, 67, rents space in her home in Somerville, Mass., to Michael Nielson, 28, thro

How Young Adults and the Elderly Are Connecting During the Pandemic
Though everyone has felt isolated during the pandemic, studies show that the individuals feeling this separation most acutely have been young adults and the elderly. In an exploration of the ways these generations can connect, the New York Times spotlighted the work of Associate Professor Karen Morris and Assistant Professor Adam Greteman’s LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project. read more

Four men stand spaced several feet apart in front of a brick wall — Exhibit B founders Alex Shapiro, J. Howard Rosier, James Stewart, and Ian Wojcikiewicz

Performance Series Exhibit B Rethinks the Literary Reading Model
Founded by alums J. Howard Rosier (MFA 2018), Alex Shapiro (MFA 2017), James Stewart (MFA 2018), and Ian Wojcikiewicz (MFA 2018), the interdisciplinary reading series Exhibit B pushes artists to develop new ways to bring their work into the world. “We don’t want to tell people what to do,” shared Rosier. “We just want to create a space for people to express themselves.” read more

Two women on a Zoom call, one holding up a book of student artwork — Leslie Robertson and Holly Rinehart showcasing the Fisher House project. Image courtesy of Leslie Robertson

Building Bridges Through Art
Alum Leslie Robertson (MA 2004) has always championed art’s ability to heal. During the pandemic, she’s worked with elementary school students in Alaska on art projects that serve their local community. These projects not only brighten the days of the residents and staff of local medical facilities, they also deepen the students' understanding of the world around them during a time when they’ve barely left their homes. read more

The New York Times Quotes Professor David Raskin on Abbott Pattison’s Iron Horse