South Side Art Exhibit showcases art by Chicago teens

By Igor Studenkov For Chronicle Media

Washington Park Arts Incubator on the evening of the opening of “I’m Down For Whatever: The Teen Perception” exhibit. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

A large crowd of local residents and people from all over Chicago gathered on the South Side’s Washington Park neighborhood, inside the University of Chicago’s Art Incubator. It was a cold Friday evening, but that didn’t stop people from coming to celebrate the opening of an exhibit that focused exclusively on work of teen artists.

“I’m Down for Whatever: The Teen Perception” exhibit opened on April 6. For most of the artists, this was the first time their work was displayed in a gallery. While most of them came from Washington Park and other nearby neighborhoods, some came from as far north as Rogers Park and as far west as Austin.

The exhibit was put together by the Art Incubator’s Teen Art Council as a way to not only spotlight their peers’ work, but to encourage everybody to recognize that there is more to teenage experience than they may realize. It will be displayed in the Art Incubator’s main gallery until May 10. The admission is free, and anyone can visit during the gallery’s regular hours — Wednesday-Friday, from noon to 6 p.m.

In the second half of the 20th Century, University of Chicago largely focused its resources in Hyde Park, the neighborhood that has been its home for most of its history. But in the 1990s, it started to look to the surrounding neighborhoods — Washington Park, Woodlawn, Kenwood and, to a lesser extent, neighborhoods farther out.

“Me ves pero no me miras” by Daniel Braemar. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

In 2001, the university launched UChicago Arts. As its website puts it, it was “a bundle of new initiatives and programs” designed to enhance arts in Hyde Park and on the South Side in general. While it was not the only organization on the South Side looking to provide opportunities for artists — most notably, Bronzeville’s South Side Community Art Center has been operating since 1940 — but it was the first time UC backed that kind of large-scale effort.

In 2013, UChicago Arts and artist Theaster Gates, of Grand Crossing, launched the Arts Incubator in a previously vacant building at 301 E Garfield Boulevard, near the Green Line Garfield “L”station. The incubator is part of the greater Arts + Public Life initiative, in addition to providing gallery space, it provides space for artist residencies, community art classes, art talks and performances.

Quenna Barrett, the Education Programs Manager for Art + Public Life Initiative, told the Chronicle that her employer has set up a Teen Arts Council, an internship program that helps high school students develop creative skills and leadership experience. The teens work with university staff and “local partners” to develop art project with some kind of community engagement component.

Last year, they organized an exhibit of teen art.

“We had a really great turnout last year — 500 visitors,” Barrett said. “So Arts + Public Life wanted us to do it this year.”

Art Incubator’s Teen Art Council welcomes attendees to the exhibit opening. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

TAC sent out calls for art to high schools all across the city and drew on their own connections. More than 50 students submitted their work, and TAC narrowed it down to 21 — five of whom were art council members.

“I think it’s not often that we get to see artwork by our teens, especially from this neighborhood,” Barrett reflected. “I think it’s important to highlight the teens are creatives, [show] that they have a future in art.”

As for the exhibit name, it came when TAC was brainstorming ideas and someone mentioned that they’re “down for whatever,” The rest, explained council member Taylor Nash, was history.

The art council not only selected the pieces, but it figured out how to arrange them. The resulting collection included paintings, photographs, line drawings, installations and even poems and video.

Kanyinsola Anifowoshe, of Rogers Park, came to Chicago from the city of Lagos, Nigeria when she was 5 years old. For the exhibit, she put together a recording of a “tour” where she used Google Maps streetview to look around her hometown, with her mother and her uncle, who still lives in Nigeria providing commentary.

“Technology has evolved in incredible ways, and it’s important to know how it shapes understanding,” Anifowoshe explained during the opening. “I feel trouble connecting to my Nigerian identity, since I haven’t been there [for so long]. But I’m connected through technology.”

Daniel Braemer, of Lincoln Square, moved to Chicago from his native Colombia 3½ years ago. His piece is a charcoal drawing of a teen boy draped in shadows, with pitch-black pits where his eyes should be.

“Reality of a King” by Taylor Nash. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

“I feel like a lot of people look at me, but nobody can see me,” Braemer said. “Nobody but me knows the internal struggles that I live within myself.”

TAC members Graciella Abbey and Genovia Witherspoon worked together to create two pieces of women’s faces made of strips of paper, with “hair” sticking out. The one on the left is made of bright-colored strips, the one on the right is made out of dark colors.

“We wanted to capture feelings through visuals, and [represent] emotions with different colors,” Abbey said.

Nash painted a more traditional painting of a man surrounded by roses, his neck cut and bleeding.

“I was inspired by a Kanye West song called ‘Homecoming,’” he explained, adding that his piece is meant to show both the good and bad parts of growing in Chicago.

Imani Joseph wrote two poems that were printed and displayed side-by-side. She said that the first poem, “Neverland,” was about religion and her beliefs, while the second poem, “I Have No Words,” was just her trying to capture what she was thinking and feeling at the time.

Steven Hou, of Bridgeport, put together an installation made up of a piece of cloth colored like an American flag, with colors bleeding together and pages of the filled-out application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.

“My sculpture illustrates the neighborhood aspect of the show,” he said. “[It also illustrates] hatred of minorities that come into the country.”

Sanna Imani, of Hyde Park, had a poem called Chaos.

“It’s about the darker side of teen experience,” she said. “I think it’s important to show that teenhoods can be negative and not always positive.

About half an hour after the opening celebration started, TAC held a panel where Nash, Anifowoshe, Hou, Witherspoon and Braemer shared their thoughts about their work and experiences as teenagers.

“Teen experience is almost like a rollercoaster,” Nash said. “There are good times, there are bad times.”

Teen Art Council and most of the artists pose for a picture. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

And just as importantly, he added, there were plenty of opportunities to learn.

“You learn everyday how to better yourself, how to become a better human being,” Nash said.

Anifowoshe said that she didn’t think there was actually that much difference between teens and adults.

“I heard someone saying teens are adults in training and adults are also adults in training,” she said. “I think there are more opportunities to make mistakes as teenagers.”

When asked about challenges they faced, Braemer said that, as an immigrant who arrived recently, adjusting to new culture and new circumstances has been a major challenge — but he embraces it as an opportunity. One may fail, he said, but it was important to keep trying.

Nash said that his biggest challenge was making right decisions, because he was all too aware of what can happen when something goes wrong.

“One slight decision can alter the path of your life,” he said. “[I have] a couple of friends who are going away [to jail] for a long time. The mistake you make can define your future.”

Abbey said that her challenge has to do with choices — but in a different way.

“I’d say my biggest challenge is finding out what I’d like to do, because there are so many fields where I can help people, and help myself,” she said.

When asked how long they’ve been doing art, Braemer said that he’s been drawing since he was 3 years old.

“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot, but I had access to paper and pencil,” he recalled. “All the things we didn’t have, I would create in my head.”

Visitors get their first look at “I’m Down For Whatever: The Teen Perception” exhibit. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

Nash said that he’s also been drawing since he was a child, adding that his uncle was a major source of inspiration.

“My uncle inspired me to be better after [I saw] all these crazy drawings in his room,” he said.

Abbey said that she started drawing three years earlier, after she took an art class during her freshman year.

Hou said that he wanted to take an easy elective, but after that class was full, he wound up having to take an art class

Anifowoshe said that, while she has been drawing for a while, her art was “bad” until she went on a field trip to Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened her eyes to the possibility of what art could be.
“I thought it was cool – you can make a piece about an idea and it doesn’t ask you to thank about [that particular] idea,” she said.

Most of the artists who spoke to the Chronicle were never exhibited before. Abbey said the experience a roller coaster of emotions.

“It feels kind of nerve-wrecking at first, since this is my first time,” Abbey said. “And getting positive feedback is really good.”

Imani said she was simply glad to have her work displayed.

“I’m very excited that my piece was chosen,” she said. “[I’m] very grateful.”

 

 

 

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