School of the Art Institute of Chicago

SAIC alum Hana Bleue Chaussette (BFA 1986) takes inspiration from hometown heroes in her latest public exhibition, "Unsung Heroes of Uptown: Art of People ON the Streets IN the Streets." ⁠ ⁠ @hanableuechaussette_ !!re!!_039;s artwork is sprawled throughout Chicago bus stops that are frequented by locals, tourists, and the individuals she depicts. The exhibition is on view until August 6. ⁠ ⁠ #saic #schooloftheartinstituteofchicago #saicalumni @saicalumni ⁠ ___⁠ ⁠ Image Credit: Artist Hana Bleue Chaussette with her portrait of Terry Abrahamson on a bus shelter in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood on May 9, 2024. It is part of her “Unsung Heroes of Uptown: Art of People ON the Streets IN the Streets” series. Abrahamson wrote Grammy Award-winning song, “Bus Driver” with Muddy Waters. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

14 SAIC community members were highlighted in @newcitymag ’s 2024 Design 50 list, which highlights individuals throughout Chicago who have shown an exemplary commitment to their respective discipline. Congratulations to the following SAIC community members: Associate Professor Abigail Glaum-Lathbury (BFA 2006) (Fashion) @genuine.unauthorized Lecturer Jessica Charlesworth (Fashion) Professor Tim Parsons (Fashion) Lecturer Cody Norman (Sculpture) @codynorman.studio Associate Professor Tom Burtonwood (Contemporary Practices) @tomburtonwood Kelly Knaga (MFA 2022) @kellyknaga Bruce Mau  (HON 2006) @brucemaudesign Alexandria Wills (SAIC 2014–15) @alexandriawills Nick Butcher (MFA 2015) Sung Jang (BFA 2000) @sungjanglaboratory Theaster Gates (HON 2014) @theastergates Hyun Jung Jun (BFA 2014) @hyunjungjun_ Gordon Gill (Board of Governors)  Image: Abigail Glaum-Lathbury/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus

A CAN’T MISS: The Low-Residency MFA Exhibition opens Monday, July 8 and runs through Sunday, July 28. Don’t miss the chance to see the ambitious and innovative interdisciplinary work of 24 MFA candidates. Free and open to the public. Join us at the opening reception on Saturday, July 13 from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Exhibition and reception details available at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St. @saic_galleries ⁠ ⁠ #saic #artexhibition #saicgalleries #emergingartists #chicagoart #chicagoevents #artschool #schooloftheartinstituteofchicago #saicchicago⁠ @lowres_saic

Happy Juneteenth! Celebrated on June 19, the observance is also called Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, and African American Emancipation Day depending on the part of the country. No matter the name, it is recognized as a celebration of African Americans’ independence and freedom from their enslavement in the US. This year marks the 159th year that many African Americans have celebrated Juneteenth. Though the holiday has largely been erased from American history until recently, the observances continue on in many communities to signify the journey, collective joy, resistance to oppression, and survival of African Americans and others from the African diaspora. Cultural celebrations, like Juneteenth, have the capacity to ground and connect us and affirm the 47.9 million Black people living in the US today. They also remind each of us of the work ahead—to remember that freedom seeking is an active and ongoing struggle and that we have a shared responsibility to co-create an inclusive campus community and world together. In the spirit of Juneteenth, we invite you to learn more about and partner with SAIC faculty, staff, students, and alumni whose work celebrates and contemplates the Black experience in all its complexity. Details below. ___ SAIC PROGRAMMING Juneteenth Playlist (link in bio) Curated by Karl Constant, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Student Engagement The Right to Read Documentary Screening Wednesday, June 19, 3:00 p.m. Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St. The Lost and Found Family Reunion Film Screenings Saturdays, July 6–20, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. SAIC at Homan Square, 906 S. Homan Ave. ___ RESOURCES Student Groups: saic.edu/life-saic/multicultural-affairs African Student Association: linktr.ee/asa.saic Black Fashion Council: @bfc_saic Black in Dialogue: @blackindialogue.saic BLK@SAIC : @blksaic Coalition for Black Restorative Artists (COBRA): @cobrasaic ___ READINGS Dr. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth Learn more about the Black woman who helped make Juneteenth a national holiday. Flaxman Library Juneteenth Virtual Pop-up Library: libraryguides.saic.edu/popup/juneteenth Black Art Collectives in Chicago—@fnews

In SAIC's "Whatnot Studio," students experience all stages of product design, from ideation to production. Tasked at working as a design agency, the "Whatnot" students are responsible for designing and producing promotional materials, brand identity, business cards, and booth decorations for their projects. ⁠ ⁠ Beyond the benefits of publicity and networking the class comes with, participating designers have the opportunity to compete for the title of best project and a financial prize. Read the full story at the link in our bio. ⁠ ⁠ #saic #whatnotstudio #productdesign

From exhibitions to awards, SAIC alums continue to shine brighter every year! Read the most recent Class Notes in SAIC magazine at the link in our bio. ⁠ ⁠ #saic #saicalumni @saicalumni ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Image: Nina Perez, Frauhaus, The Women of the Bauhaus, 2023. Courtesy of ARTS THREAD ⁠ ⁠ *Alum Nina Perez (BFA 2023) won the Graphic Design category of the prestigious Global Design Graduate Show 2023 organized by Arts Threads in collaboration with Gucci.

NOW ON VIEW: “My Chicagos: SAIC Students Honor Georgia O’Keeffe.” In celebration of Georgia O’Keeffe’s (SAIC 1905–06, HON 1967) exhibition “My New Yorks” showing at the Art Institute of Chicago, we asked SAIC students to submit pieces that demonstrate how they are inspired by the city they live in and how Chicago’s urban landscape influences their work. We’re thrilled to be showcasing a selection of these entries at SITE Galleries alongside O’Keeffe’s @artinstitutechi show. As part of this contest, one student was selected by a jury to have their work reproduced on the exterior of the Carson Pirie Scott building. Congratulations to Bella Luna Fulk, whose work Fatal Venus (slide 1, left) is now on display.   @site_galleries Hours: June 10–14, 12:30–6:00 p.m. SITE Gallery, LeRoy Neiman Center Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave. ___ Slide 1 (left to right): Bella Laun Folk, Fatal Venus, 2024, Mix media, 40” x 35” Daniel Lloyd-Miller, Chicago Nocturne, 2022, Oil on canvas, 24” x 30” Slide 2 (left to right):  Bela Koschalk, Home Now, 2024, Digital print, 12” x 18” Emma Stone, Yellow, 2024, Oil on steel, 24” x 24” Su Kaiden Cho, Emptiness and more, 2024, hanji (mulberry) paper, monofilament fibers, rayon fibers, enamel, sinamay on hand built frame, 32” x 10.5” x 2”  Slide 3: Amy Wong, Chicago Chicago, 2024, Oil on paper, 30” x 22”  Slide 4: Jiselle Ramirez, Spy the Line, 2024, Felted wool on canvas, 16” x 24”  Slide 5 (left to right):  Rynn Dziak, Various Instance in a Cityscape, 2024, Ink and acetone transfer on paper, 40” x 56” Rynn Dziak, Untitled, 2024, Charcoal, conte and graphite on paper, 18” x 24”

Last April, SAIC alum Ghaleya Almansoori (MA 2023) led an Arabic spice painting workshop on SAIC's campus—where participants learned watercolor shading techniques with coffee grounds and spices.⁠ ⁠ The workshop accompanied Almansoori’s presentation of her thesis, a proposal for a mobile art studio in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Less than a year later, Almansoori debuted Kenaz—teaching the same workshop to children and adults in the UAE. ⁠ ⁠ Read the full story at the link in our bio!⁠ ⁠ #saic #saicnews

In the recent issue of SAIC magazine, we dive into the 1850s when Charles Peck found a community of like-minded artists who saw the potential for Chicago to be the Midwest's artistic oasis. Learn more about the School’s journey, from a small studio in 1866 to one of the finest artistic hubs to date, at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ #saic #saicmagazine #saichistory #artisticlegacy #fromthearchives

We wish a Happy Pride Month to all of our queer, trans and gender expansive SAIC community members! We see you, we are here to support you, and we celebrate you this month and every month!⁠ ⁠ As we celebrate, we want to honor the generations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexed, Asexual and all other gender and sexually diverse community members and their allies across the world. We are grateful for their long history of advocating to simply live peacefully in a world free of homophobia, transphobia, and cisgenderism. We are also grateful that we now have LGBTQIA+ and human rights protections in many societies because of their commitment to creating a better world. We also value and appreciate the contributions of our LGBTQIA+ community members here at SAIC!⁠ ⁠ Pride month gives us an opportunity to celebrate our diverse community and consider our shared responsibility in redressing the institutional and systemic barriers that persist for many. We can begin by building community across our identities and experiences and by taking action as allies to our gender and sexually diverse students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Join us this month for community building events that not only celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community but also strive to support ongoing advocacy efforts. ⁠ ⁠ ***⁠ ⁠ EVENTS & RESOURCES⁠ ⁠ Tabling + Pop up Library + Button Making⁠ Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 25–27, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ⁠ LeRoy Neiman Center, Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., first floor⁠ ⁠ Flaxman Library LGBTQIA+ Virtual Pop-up Library⁠ Visit libraryguides.saic.edu/popup/lgbtqia for more info. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Student Groups⁠ Visit bit.ly/457TgpO for more info. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Local and Online Resources⁠ Visit bit.ly/3R9j27H for more info.

SAIC’s Class of 2024 has officially walked the stage—and they brought some show-stopping looks. Here’s a preview, and stay tuned for more impressive looks from the big day 🎓 #SAIC2024GRADS @3xalted1 , @itsme.scotty , @pavtonnotoython , @t.il.c.a.r.a

SAIC’s 2024 Commencement address was delivered by Honorary Degree Recipient and world-renowned photographer An-My Lê.  “As you enter this new adventure in your life as artists, architects, art historians, writers, and art therapists, I hope that you will have the open mind, the courage, and conviction to tackle subjects that are larger than yourself,” Lê said in her Commencement address. “I hope you will explore these subjects with all the complexity and discernment they demand.”