Art Connects Us, Volume 29

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.

Our community's work demonstrates a belief in our interconnectedness as people and our shared responsibility to make positive change. Below you’ll find just a few of the stories that build our optimism, reignite our passion, and fill us with hope for the future.

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
Volume 25
Volume 26
Volume 27
Volume 28

A large black statue of a seated figure with an outsized head in pictured in Rockefeller Plaza — Sanford Biggers, Oracle, 2020, on view at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Photo by Daniel Greer. Image courtesy of Art Production Fund

Alum Sanford Biggers's Latest Sculpture Challenges Tropes of Classical Art
Early this month, alum Sanford Biggers (MFA 1999) unveiled his newest monumental sculpture in Rockefeller Center. The piece, titled Oracle, is a 25-foot-tall, 15,280-pound bronze sculpture that “merges European statues and African masks in an interrogation of sculptural art’s history and power.” It’s part of Biggers’s takeover of the entire plaza, which features music, flags, and photographs, all accessible to the public. read more

Eileen Favorite speaks to students in her class called "Love The Art, Hate the Artist" at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on April 12, 2018 — Eileen Favorite speaks to students in her class called Love The Art, Hate the Artist at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on April 12, 2018. Photo courtesy of Jose M. Osorio and the Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune Spotlights Faculty Member Eileen Favorite’s Class Love the Art, Hate the Artist
The Chicago Tribune spotlighted Professor, Adj. Eileen Favorite’s (MFA 1999) class Love the Art, Hate the Artist, which has examined the careers of controversial artists since 2001. The Tribune explores how the class—and its students—has evolved through landmark cultural shifts such as the #MeToo movement, the 2016 presidential election, and an era of social media “cancel culture.” read more

Two images of a Black Power Fist drawn as a mural, one with a white background and one with a black background — Visualizations for the mural set to go up at Harrison Street and Homan Avenue. Image courtesy of Block Club Chicago

SAIC Community Members Design an LED Mural to Make North Lawndale More Walkable
Block Club Chicago showcased the newest project from SAIC at Homan Square: an LED mural developed in partnership with community members to make the area around the Kedzie-Homan Blue Line station more pedestrian-friendly. Students designed the mural, which depicts the Black Power fist over lines that suggest the interconnectedness of the CTA. read more

Circular photos of two women; one leaning below a mossy doorframe and the other squatting around terracotta pots wrapped with rope — Viral Ecologies co-founders Rosemary Holliday Hall and Saffronia Downing. Images courtesy of Newcity

Two Alums Create a Multimedia Publication Exploring the Pandemic’s Impact
Last fall, Lecturer Saffronia Downing (MFA 2020) and Rosemary Holliday Hall (MFA 2019) launched Viral Ecologies, a digital publication that was inspired by the impact of the pandemic on various societal systems and structures. Newcity interviewed them about the publication, which showcases writing, videos, sound essays, and more. read more

Student Nitya Mehrotra’s Animations Give a Voice to Victims