Stories

Learn about the people, places, and ideas that drive Chicago’s dynamic arts ecosystem. Dive in and discover interviews, essays, news, videos, and more.

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Two young visitors look at a large standing loom in front of a window of Hull-House.

ADC Partners Collaborate to Present “Weaving Stories” Series

"Weaving Stories" is a collaborative series of community-building weaving workshops meant to connect shared stories of heritage and culture to material practices.

Art Design Chicago X Design Museum of Chicago: Flag Feast

Flag Feast, an eye-popping array of flag designs created by local artists and designers as part of Art Design Chicago.
Two young visitors look at a large standing loom in front of a window of Hull-House.

ADC Partners Collaborate to Present “Weaving Stories” Series

"Weaving Stories" is a collaborative series of community-building weaving workshops meant to connect shared stories of heritage and culture to material practices.

Art Design Chicago X Design Museum of Chicago: Flag Feast

Flag Feast, an eye-popping array of flag designs created by local artists and designers as part of Art Design Chicago.

Chicago Grants Awarded Summer 2024

The Terra Foundation’s summer grants support three projects in Chicago.
An aerial view of a festival site with green space, paths, and several pavilions.

Art Design Chicago Grants Awarded Spring 2024

The Terra Foundation for American Art awarded 22 grants in spring 2024 through its Art Design Chicago initiative.
Left: Line drawing of a series of raised garden beds containing a variety of plants. Text states: Space Shift Collective.; Right: A detail view of a fiber artwork featuring long red fabric ribbons hanging vertically with tangled fringe at the ends.

Art Design Chicago at EXPO 2024

Throughout the run of EXPO CHICAGO, make sure to visit Art Design Chicago at two Special Exhibition booths presented in collaboration with Hyde Park Art Center and Center for Native Futures.
“Arte Designo Chicago/ Lumpen Radio Serie de Charlas” gráfico con negro y blanco barrio en fondo. Rasgado banda del papel con fuente manuscrita que dice, “Explorando narrativas de la indigeneidad, la migración, el activismo y el desplazamiento a través de las voces de artistas, curadores y organizadores culturales.” es en el centro de la imagen. “Art Design Chicago / Lumpen Radio Talk Series” graphic with black and white neighborhood background. Ripped strip of paper graphic with black handwritten font that states, “Exploring narratives of indigeneity, migration, activism, and displacement through the voices of artists, curators, and cultural organizers.” centers the image.

Lumpen Radio Examina Las Exposiciones de Arte Diseño Chicago en Una Serie de Charlas Bilingües / Lumpen Radio Examines Art Design Chicago Exhibitions in Bilingual Talk Series

A través de una serie de conversaciones transmitidas en español y inglés con artistas, curadores, y organizadores culturales, el Arte Diseño Chicago Serie de Charlas por Lumpen Radio explora y celebra el rico patrimonio artístico y las diversas comunidades creativas.
View of an art gallery with sculptures on pedestals.

Grounding, Advocating, and Experimenting with Craft: What I Learned From “Agency: Craft in Chicago from the 1970s–80s and Beyond”

Xiao Faria daCunha reviews "Agency: Craft in Chicago from the 1970s–80s and Beyond" for Sixty Inches from Center.

The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige: A Reflection on Community, Glamour, and Style

Jared Brown speculates on and responds to three elements integral to the the work of Robert Earl Paige—community, style and glamour.
A set of three images depicting typography on signs that say "All Rise Lounge," "Kajiken," and "Tacos, That Way."

Typographical Scavenger Hunt: Using “Letters Beyond Form: Chicago Types” as a Framework

Designer and writer Ally Fouts created a collection of lumen prints that capture typography across Chicago.
A dense collage of brightly colored floral images on a black background.

Myth of the Organic City: Exploring the Naturalization of Technology as a Site for Environmental Critique

The works of art in "Myth of the Organic City" compel viewers to confront the unseen impact of our technological footprint.

Inside
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Inside look

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Signs designating the Winthrop Family Historical Garden. In the left corner, community members can be seen participating in an organized dance activity.

Dreaming of a Future, A Conversation with Artist Regina Agu

Threewalls, a partner of Art Design Chicago, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
A performer in a blue garment next to an art piece at the Water Music on the Beach event.

6018North, Trash to Treasure

6018North, a sustainability-driven partner of Art Design Chicago, has been working with artist Tria Smith
A vintage photo of a group of coworkers sitting in front of a blackboard with a picture of a ship on it.

Toy Stories: The Amazing Journey of Dalia Verbickas Ancevicius

Newcity profiles designer Dalia Anceicius, whose work is exhibited in the Balzekas Museum’s exhibition, “BeLONGING.”
A gallery installation including large skeleton puppets and a wall-mounted video monitor.

Chicago’s History of Radical Art Pedagogy

Critic Lori Waxman reviews two concurrent exhibitions focused on the radical social and political possibilities of progressive art education in Chicago.
Curator Amira Hegazy, wearing a long black dress and hair pulled back, stands in front of the opening exhibition text panel for "Letters Beyond Form."

WDCB Radio Tours “Letters Beyond Form” at the Design Museum of Chicago

WDCB’s Gary Zidek talks with curator Amira Hegazy about the unique approaches to typography found in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Headshot of Juarez Hawkins (left) and Patricia Stewart, Chicago's Middle Class c/o my Family History, 2015. Mixed media collage, 14" (W) x 28" (H). Courtesy of the artist (right).

WVON speaks to artist Juarez Hawkins and ADC Project Director Eva Silverman

Artist Juarez Hawkins and Project Director Eva Silverman talk with WVON about Art Design Chicago activities on Chicago’s South Side.

In the
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Welcome to Zhegagoynak

A comic by Coco Picard highlights the perspectives of the collaborators involved in “Woven Being.”

Art Design Chicago amplifies Black and Indigenous histories with 2025 exhibitions

An article in "The Triibe" points to the ways that Art Design Chicago provides “a platform for showcasing Black and Indigenous identities and the intersections between the two cultures.”

In The News

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Welcome to Zhegagoynak

A comic by Coco Picard highlights the perspectives of the collaborators involved in “Woven Being.”

Art Design Chicago amplifies Black and Indigenous histories with 2025 exhibitions

An article in "The Triibe" points to the ways that Art Design Chicago provides “a platform for showcasing Black and Indigenous identities and the intersections between the two cultures.”

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and updates from Art Design Chicago.

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.

120 East Erie Street
Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
+1 312 664 3939
artdesignchicago@terraamericanart.org
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The Terra Foundation fosters intercultural dialogues and encourages transformative practices to expand narratives of American art.

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