RE: PUBLICS Opens at 5th Floor Gallery
RE: PUBLICS is the new exhibition at The 5th Floor gallery at the
UIC School of Art & Art History and opens January 24, 2019 and will run
until May 9, 2019.
RE: PUBLICS is an exhibition emerging from a Museum and Exhibition
Studies seminar titled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About
Public Engagement* *But Were Afraid to Ask.” The seminar is led by
Jen Delos Reyes, a creative laborer, educator, radical community
arts organizer, and author. She is the director and founder of Open
Engagement an artist-led initiative committed to expanding the
dialogue around and serving as a site of care for the field of socially
engaged art.
The course and connected exhibition is designed as a series of programs
featuring diverse guests who will share candidly on their experiences,
strategies, and hopes for public engagement in museums, cultural
institutions, and beyond. Guests will include: January Parkos Arnall—
Curator of Public Engagement at the MCA, Kristen Kaza—Founder
of No Small Plans and Director of Public Engagement and programs
at the Chicago Reader, Elijah McKinnon founder of People Who Care,
Carrie Sandahl—Director of the Program on Disability Art, Culture
and Humanities, Disability and Human Development at UIC, Anthony
Stepter—Assistant Director of UIC MUSE, Lisa Yun Lee—Director of the
National Museum of Public Housing, and Michael Christiano—Deputy
Director & Curator of Public Practice at the Smart Museum of Art.
Focused on publics, context, and social function, participants in the
class will each develop a public program that will take place in this
space, as well as intentional sites across Chicago.
The 5th floor is located at 400 South Peoria Street, in the same building
which houses Gallery 400 on the east side of campus. Admission to the
exhibition and its programs is free.
The following programs all take place at 7pm in the 5th Floor Gallery:
Jan 31- Kristen Kaza-Founder of No Small Plans and Director of Public Engagement and programs at the Chicago Reader, and Elijah McKinnon founder of People Who Care. Kristen and Elijah are the founders of Reunion.
Feb 7- Lisa Lee-Director of the National Museum of Public Housing.
Feb 14- Anthony Stepter- Assistant Director of UIC MUSE- Public Programs Feedback sessions
Feb 21- Carrie Sandahl-Director of the Program on Disability Art.
Feb 28- Michael Christiano- Deputy Director & Curator of Public Practice at the Smart Museum of Art.
March 14- STUDENT LED PUBLIC PROGRAMS BEGIN!
March 21- 2 student programs
April 4- 2 student programs
April 11- 2 student programs
April 18- 2 student programs
April 25- 2 student programs
May 2- 2 student programs
The gallery has open hours on Fridays from 1pm–6pm, and public
events on Thursdays January 24–Mayl 9th from 7pm–8pm. Join us for
the exhibition reception on March 22 from 6pm–8pm. See the
School of Art & Art History online calendar for full details of events.
For updates on hours, events, and speakers, follow @uicsaah and
@muse_uic on Instagram and Facebook.