Cheryl Pope Profiled in the Chicago Tribune

Adjunct Professor of Fashion Design Cheryl Pope (BFA 2003, MDes 2010) was recently profiled in the Chicago Tribune about her work, being a former Chicago Golden Gloves winner, and her current exhibit, Not Without a Fight, at the Rockford Art Museum. The exhibit is a kind of retrospective of the last 10 years of Pope's work and includes works like a boxing ring, a rug the exact dimensions of a Chicago juvenile detention cell, banners inspired by interviews with students, a punching bag, and a gold-leafed Spalding basketball, among others. Pope's practice is varied, she calls her work "poetic journalism," but lately she is painting more. In the article, Pope reflects on some of the surprising, personal objects that shaped her. Talking about her work Just Yell: A Guidebook for Yellers, a faux 308-page high school yearbook, most of which is dedicated to youth killed by gun violence in Chicago, Poe says  "my work is about community and if I’m not being accessible, if I’m not allowing in the entire community, then what am I doing?” she says. Read the full article on the Chicago Tribune's website.