Weinberg/Newton Gallery (688 N. Milwaukee Ave.), a non-commercial gallery dedicated to promoting social justice causes, is partnering with South Side youth arts non-profit SkyART and Arts + Public Life, which fosters neighborhood vibrancy through the arts on the South Side of Chicago, to present Can you see me?. Across three galleries, artwork by incarcerated young people, contemporary artists and arts-justice organizations explores themes of ascendance, innocence and freedom.
The exhibitions are accompanied by a series of related programs taking place throughout November and December, including panel discussions that highlight youth incarceration and potential alternatives, the healing power of the arts and the effects of the juvenile justice system on families and communities. Guest speakers include IDJJ officials, community organizers, social workers, therapists and formerly incarcerated youth. Events will also include the world premiere of Chicago-based artist, Kirsten Leenaars’ feature-length documentary film, A Letter to the City: “Jail is not my home,” produced in partnership with Circles & Ciphers, a hip-hop infused restorative justice organization led by and for young people impacted by violence.
Installation view of Can you see me? at Weinberg/Newton Gallery; credit: Evan Jenkins
Related Programming:
● Panel discussion on youth incarceration, alternatives and effects on families and communities will take place at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on November 4 from 5:30 to 7pm with special guest speakers Ally Bain, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Illinois; Jakki Alexander, Assistant Superintendent of Programs, IYC Warrenville - Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and Emony Tate, a community organizer and youth services provider with Blocks Together, Chicago; plus Denzel Burke, co-founder of R.E.A.L Youth Initiative with lived experience of incarceration as a juvenile.
● Family Day will take place at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on November 5 from 1 to 3pm. Look, make, and talk about art! Weinberg/Newton Gallery Family Days feature hands-on art making activities for all ages inspired by the exhibition on view. All materials will be provided, in addition to light refreshments and snacks.
● Panel discussion on the healing power of art and effects of trauma on young people will take place at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on November 11 from 5:30 to 7pm with special guest speakers SkyART founder, CEO and art therapist, Sarah Ward (ATR); clinical social worker, therapist and professor at UChicago's Crown School of Social Work specializing in youth development and trauma, John Sykes (MSW, LCSW), Deputy Executive Director of Zealous and formerly incarcerated artist, Demetrius Titus, Destine Phillips, co-founder of R.E.A.L Youth Initiative, and Adam Martinez, former participant in SkyART’s Just-Us program. Moderated by Amina Dickerson.
● Panel discussion about youth incarceration in the Americas will take place at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on November 17 from 5:30 to 7pm with special guest speakers Luz Pro, Founder of Arte Pro, an organization that works with children born in incarceration in Mexico; Eduardo Enrique Navarrete Murcia, a formerly incarcerated educator and writer who works with ConTextos, an organization that supports incarcerated authors in El Salvador and Chicago, and Juan Carlos Quirarte who established the first safehouse for youth escaping organized crime in Mexico and has led many other projects focusing on prevention and reentry from incarceration. Moderated by Devon VanHouten-Maldonado, Director of Programs at SkyART, this program will be in English and Spanish.
● World premiere of a feature-length documentary film by artist Kirsten Leenaars and Circles & Ciphers will take place at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on December 9 from 6 to 8pm followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
The three exhibitions are:
• Can you see me? at Weinberg/Newton Gallery, on view until Dec. 17
• Can you see me? FREEDOM SPACE at Arts + Public Life, on view until Dec. 16
• Can you see me? Envisioning the future at SkyART, on view from Oct. 28 through Dec. 17, 2022, with an opening reception taking place on Oct. 28 from 4 to 7pm
Additional programming will include youth workshops, professional development for educators and practitioners and field trips for school and community groups. Circles & Ciphers will lead restorative justice freestyle circles at all three locations and school groups will be welcomed for field trips and letter writing workshops.
Hours and Appointments:
Weinberg/Newton Gallery (688 N Milwaukee Ave.): Thursday & Friday, 1-5pm; Sat, 12-4pm
Exhibitions are free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged and can be made via Tock here. Small educational groups and classes are welcome for guided tours, which are available upon request. If interested in an appointment outside of gallery hours, please email info@weinbergnewtongallery.com. For more information, visit weinbergnewtongallery.com or call 312.529.5090.
SkyART (3026 E 91st St.): Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6pm; tours available upon request
Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information visit, skyart.org or call 773.731.9287.
Arts + Public Life (301 E Garfield Boulevard): Thursday-Saturday, 3-7pm
Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information visit, artsandpubliclife.org or call 773.702.9724.
ABOUT
SkyART’s Just-Us program serves youth ages 14-21 who are involved in the juvenile justice system. Through Just-Us, SkyART staff and Art Therapists seek to humanize the struggle of incarcerated youth by acknowledging them as whole individuals and artists. SkyART provides open-studio style art therapy groups for youth involved in the criminal justice system and dually-involved youth who are involved in both the justice system and the foster care system. Through our sessions, youth gain self-confidence, self-esteem and empathy for others. SkyART has provided free arts programs in Chicago since 2001, serving several thousand youth per year, providing art therapy, after school, summer and in-school Social Emotional Learning (SEL), experimental, process-based art programs.
Arts + Public Life (APL) is a dynamic hub of exploration, expression and exchange that centers people of color and fosters neighborhood vibrancy through the arts on the South Side of Chicago. As a neighborhood platform for arts and culture in Washington Park, APL provides residencies for Black and Brown artists and creative entrepreneurs, arts education for youth and artist-led programming and exhibitions.
Weinberg/Newton Gallery is a non-commercial gallery with a mission to collaborate with nonprofit organizations and artists to educate and engage the public on social justice issues. Through artwork and programming, the gallery provides a vital space for open discourse on critical contemporary issues facing our communities. Connecting artists with social justice organizations, we work to drive change and cultivate a culture of consciousness.
The project is generously supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Polk Brothers Foundation, the Field Foundation, the Weinberg/Newton Family Foundation, Zealous, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ), and as part of the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.