The importance of immigration and migration in the genre of self-taught art is an underexplored topic. Chicago, a city with a significant and ongoing history of immigration and migration, is fertile ground for investigating the cultural, communal, familial, and educational influences that enrich artistic production.
In light of this history, the exhibition aims to be inclusive of varied experiences of coming to Chicago while attempting to be mindful of the sociological, experiential, and legal differences for immigrants, migrants, asylum seekers, and others.
The first to open in Intuit’s newly-renovated museum, this exhibition explores catalysts for artists who came to Chicago and began or expanded their artistic practice. The range of personal and political subject matter and artistic styles reflects artists processing distinct cultural traditions, memories and experiences of living in diaspora. Themes of belonging and longing for one’s homeland, labor and individual expression, bearing witness to history, and assimilation resonate in the artworks on display.
The narrative centers on the rise of self-taught art in Chicago during the second half of the 20th century, opportunities for artists leading up to this time, and the continued importance of im/migrant self-taught artists to the cultural landscape of Chicago today.
A public preview of the exhibition takes place on Friday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.