Art Connects Us, Volume 17

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

Under Stay-at-Home Orders, Alum Launches a Bakery from His Apartment
Artists David Ayala-Alfonso (MA 2015) and Andrea Ferrero passed the time at the beginning of the pandemic by baking. After weeks of practice, they joined Mexico City's blossoming culture of "ghost kitchens": food crafted exclusively for delivery from people's homes. The New York Times covered the skyrocketing popularity of their business, Cuarentena Baking (Quarantine Baking). 

Assistant Professor Hương Ngô Asks Her Students to Redefine Citizenship
As part of her commission for the exhibition Alien vs. Citizen at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Assistant Professor Hương Ngô created a zine with students from one of her Contemporary Practices courses. The exhibition asks visitors to consider the way a person’s value is determined in the US, and the students meditated on ideas of citizenship, migration, or sanctuary, drafting prompts or “scores,” which are showcased in the zine. read more

The New York Times Lists Work by Faculty and Alums as Most Influential Protest Art
The New York Times included pieces by SAIC community members Elizabeth Catlett (SAIC 1941), Leon Golub (BFA 1949, MFA 1950), Associate Professor LaToya Ruby Frazier, and Dread Scott (BFA 1989) on their list of the 25 most influential works of American protest art since World War II. The list was compiled by a group of artists, curators, and writers who came together to discuss the nature of protest art and the many forms it takes. read more