Projects

Curriculum Development & Civic Engagement

School of the Art Institute

@ Homan Square

Lawndale Civic Design is a program that centers on the power of creative design within the community. Our YOUTH initiative empowers young individuals to engage in hands- on projects that blend their imaginative concepts with real-world implementation. Through this program, participants will gain invaluable experience in navigating budget considerations, fostering collaborative teamwork, and actively involving the community. By experimenting with physical materials and understanding city regulations, interns will develop a comprehensive grasp of the civic design process, turning their visions into tangible contributions within Lawndale.

The team of 11 youth designers is thrilled to present this year's summer project, "The Planter Project," which not only addresses current community needs but also honors Lawndale's rich housing history. Through engaging with the community, we identified three crucial aspects: access to Lawndale's historiography, availability of food/plants, and a desire for artistic expression at home.

As part of the Lawndale Civic Design program, our students have learned and embraced the civic design process. They have empathized with the community, defined its needs, brainstormed innovative solutions, and tested design- based interventions through prototypes. After a rigorous vetting process, the LCD team explored several potential projects before ultimately focusing on the creation of our Graystone Planters.

These hand-crafted planters hold a deeper significance. By giving them away to community members, we aim to foster a stronger connection with nature, allowing residents to introduce more greenery into their homes. Moreover, our project pays homage to Lawndale's historic architecture, as it embraces the classic greystone two-flats that have been a significant part of the neighborhood's housing history.

In this way, "The Planter Project" becomes not only a means to enhance the aesthetics of Lawndale but also a reflection of the neighborhood's past and an inspiration for its future. We are excited to contribute to the community's well-being and its appreciation of its unique housing heritage.

Exhibition Curation & Development

Lawndale Pop-Up Spot

Sukkah Design Festival Exhibit

The Festival celebrates cultural heritage and amplifies solidarity among the Jewish community who lived in North Lawndale historically, the predominantly Black community that resides there today, and the broader Chicago community. During the Festival days, the landscape of unique sukkah structures is activated with cross-cultural public programming, co-organized with the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, bringing together intersectional pairings of neighborhood groups After the Festival, each sukkah is relocated and permanently re-installed at the facilities of the community organizations that co-designed them, as vibrant new program spaces; for example, as a garden pergola, rooftop playscape, heritage museum, meditation pavilion, community memorial, and tool library.

The Chicago Sukkah Design Festival is co-hosted by Could Be Design and the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot.

Panel Design

Community Engagement

Vending + Arts Workshops

Cultivating an artist-run space thrives on a vibrant community network. Engagement is vital; it's the lifeblood of projects. Artist markets serve as both showcases and income sources. At Artefactos Limon, market participation extends beyond the art community, reaching those curious about art.

Artefactos Limon fosters connection and offer avenues for engagement, like our Art Kits with affordable Block Printing and Cyanotype Kits, fostering art introduction and exploration. In both, all materials and instruction needed just to start is priced at an affordable rate to support introductions to art-making practices.

Museo-Punk Zine

MUSEO-PUNK is a DIY publication project created by Natalie Ayala focused on exploring the Chicago Food + Climate Justice Movement, Alternative Forms of Display, and Community-Centered Distribution in the Museum through Latinx Punk Pedagogies. This project comes out of the Museum and Exhibition Studies Program at the University of Illinois Chicago. Each zine is Risograph printed and hand-assembled by Artefactos.

Parangolés (1954), Spread Natalie Ayala Soybean Oil Ink, Paper 2023

Matiz Press is a Chicago-based arts initiative founded by visual artist Miguel Limon, focused on making printmaking accessible through risograph printing. Supported by the West Town Chamber of Commerce’s incubator program, Matiz Press will launch a three-month pop-up storefront this fall! This pop-up will feature a shop offering unique prints, zines, and DIY art kits, and a workshop space hosting engaging sessions like Basics of Riso and Riso Stickers & Button-making. Additionally, it will provide a consignment platform for Chicago artists, promoting the local artist economy and community engagement.

Print Publishing

Arts + Printmaking

Risograph Residency

Matiz Press

Coming Fall 2024 / With support from West Town Chamber of Commerce

The Risograph Residency introduces artists, educators, or cultural workers to high-volume printmaking for arts access, information distribution, organizing, and/or creative practice development.

Cohort 1: June - Dec 2023

  • Brian Herrera

  • Fabiola Rivera

  • Akaelah Rain

  • Cristobal Alday

  • Alex Hernandez

Cohort 2 (Zines): Jan - July 2024

  • Kai Slater

  • Musu Bangura

  • Samantha Caldera

Ink & Impact

Sept 2023 - May 2024 / With Support from CPSLives

"Ink & Impact," showcased at the Design Museum of Chicago, was a collaborative project by Miguel Limón, CPSLives Resident for 2023-24, and students from Walter Payton College Prep. The initiative engaged students in exploring Chicago's rich history of print media and the Zine and self-publishing community. Through archival research, photography, and printmaking, students produced posters, zines, flyers, and oral histories, drawing inspiration from historical social movements such as the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and the Chicago Women's Graphic Collective. The project included a risograph workshop and the creation of the "Komically Kids" club to teach screenprinting and risography, addressing contemporary issues like the reduction of gender-neutral bathrooms in schools. The resulting collection of prints highlighted the power of youth in cultural preservation and social activism.

Arts + Education