Art Connects Us, Volume 27

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

A musician stands in front of a brick wall covered in vines, looking to his right with his hands clasped in front of his chest — Damon Locks. Photo by Jermaine Jr. Jackson, courtesy of the New York Times

Alum Damon Locks and the Black Monument Ensemble Make Music for Our Current Moment
In the midst of the pandemic and protests against police brutality, alum Damon Locks (BFA 1991) wasn’t sure what sort of music he wanted to make. “The challenge was, ‘What would I say now?’” Locks said. “And when breath is the most dangerous thing around, how do you record up to six people singing?” With a bit of ingenuity and inspiration, he recorded a new album with the Black Monument Ensemble that “spins societal despair into forward-looking optimism.” read more

A video still of a woman sitting in the middle of a stream, with mountains and trees behind her — Still from "Mourning with Minari." Courtesy of the artist and Hyperallergic

Alum Kevin B. Lee Reflects on the Asian American Experience in a New Video Essay
In Hyperallergic, alum Kevin B. Lee (MFA 2015, MA 2016) shared his new video essay “Mourning with Minari.” In this piece, Lee reflects on the praise and accolades the film Minari has received, and how that contrasts with the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans—including the brutal shooting in Atlanta—and what this tells us about the Asian American experience. read more

A row of workers cottages, two story, brick single family homes — Workers cottages in Logan Square. Photo courtesy of Tom Vlodek

Students in Faculty Member Charles Pipal’s Class Work to Preserve Logan Square History
Across Logan Square, workers cottages are being razed to build new condos and single-family homes. To encourage the city to preserve these historic homes, students from one of Professor, Adj. Charles Pipal’s preservation planning studio classes are teaming up with Preservation Chicago and the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative. Together, they’re working on a data project that documents the state of the cottages and the number that are being demolished. read more

April 2024: Faculty and Staff Accomplishments