How does Chicago inspire you creatively?
This year, the Terra Foundation for American Art was thrilled to collaborate with the Design Museum of Chicago to support Flag Feast, an eye-popping array of flag designs created by local artists and designers as part of Art Design Chicago.
On the occasion of their annual Field Day event, the Design Museum issued a creative challenge to their network of local artists and designers. The museum distributed a brief, commissioning local creatives to submit flag designs that celebrate Chicago design—past, present, and future. Inspired by Art Design Chicago, the challenge asked designers to think about the ways in which the place we call Chicago informs their work.
“Flag Feast was born from our desire to create a vibrant platform inspired by Art Design Chicago that celebrates the diversity of Chicago’s creative community. By commissioning a broad range of 75 artists to design flags, we are able to highlight how the city’s creative spirit thrives in every corner. Designing a flag offers a unique challenge—it’s a simple yet powerful canvas to express both personal identity and shared Chicago pride.” — Tanner Woodford, Founder & Executive Director, Design Museum of Chicago
More than 75 artists and designers answered the call, collectively creating an exhibition of flags that showcases the extraordinary range of design talent in the city. Not surprisingly, each flag design is unique, with styles ranging from abstract to representational and from colorful to monochromatic. Inspirations include Lake Michigan, the Chicago star, the city’s neighborhoods, urban wildlife, and much more.
“The great Lake Michigan lakefront and the Chicago River connect the beautiful, tough, gritty, pretty, polished, and everywhere in-between parts of this amazing city. And the same way the person is battling those gnarly waves in the artwork, Chicago people all have that same grit and determination.” – Jesse Hora
Several designers found inspiration in the work of renowned Chicago-based artists and designers who came before them, such as the designers of the New Bauhaus, Morton and Millie Goldsholl, and John Massey.
“My flag pays homage to the work produced by Goldsholl Design and Film Associates; a shining example of Chicago design from the “Great Age of Advertising.” I was introduced to their work at their retrospective at the Block Museum, and I’ve been a fan ever since.” – Michaile Brooks
The Flag Feast flags are being exhibited at festivals throughout Chicago this summer, including the Design Museum’s Field Day at Navy Pier (July 27), Taste of Chicago Pop-Up in Pullman Park (August 17), and at the downtown Taste of Chicago in Grant Park (September 7).
Look out for more installations throughout the year.
