Sandra has been photographing the rebirth of Overton since late 2017. She has actively documented people, activities, and spaces at former Anthony Overton Elementary with photography, interviews, and conversations. She is creating this portrait series to celebrate and share these stories.
As the building is rehabilitated and repurposed into its new function as a business and technology incubator, Sandra continues to search for those want to share their stories about Overton.
The Library features print materials, produced by these organizations, or suggested on reading lists they submitted, which are useful for understanding and promoting their campaigns to stop the ongoing erasure of the city's public buildings and landscapes: its housing, schools, manufacturing districts, and metabolic circuits (clean air, clean water, food security and park spaces), as well as spaces of erasure, such as prisons, immigration detention centers, and police stations, which remove people from their communities.
While The Bronzeville and Phantom Gallery collection are located in the school section of the library, due in part to individual members engagement in Chicago's public schools and their activation of the Overton School with Creative Grounds, it spans numerous topics from placemaking to the celebration of African American male icons to critical urban theory. Contributions from artists Toussaint Werner and Chris Devins, and curator Alpha Bruton range from artworks and posters to recommended reading on school closures, public art, and development.
Library credits: Alpha Bruton, Paula Robinson, Toussaint Werner Chris Devins, Aasia Castaneda, Philip Jackson (posthumous contribution)
Location:
Chicago Cultural Center, 4th Floor, Randolph Landing
19 September 2019 - 5 January 2020
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday - Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm
