Together We Can Dream
A program for 15 rising Juniors and Seniors attending public high schools located in the West & South side of Chicago
This 5-week internship pilot program produced in partnership with the SMART museum of Art and Chicago Housing Authority (public housing) was team taught by Luis Sahagun, a socially engaged multi-disciplinary artist and Ashley Finigan, a PhD candidate in History at University of Chicago. Together they researched Chicago-based institutions such as; the South Side Community Art Center, Dusable Museum of African American History, Chicago Cultural Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, Arts Incubator, and Stony Island Arts Bank in order to prepare for their own curatorial project. The exhibition titled, Together We Can dream focused on issues of racism, slavery, segregation, and stereotypes and was inspired by Theresa, the subject of Dawoud Bey's large photograph. This exhibition was arranged in chronological manner and was installed to acknowledge the highs and lows of the African American experience in America. The exhibition is accompanied by original texts produced by the teen contributors in response to the artworks.
