SPACE

The School Partnership for Art and Civic Engagement, also known as SPACE,is a multiyear creative residency in Chicago public high schools where a resident artist relocates their studio to a high school, transforming spaces into sites of artistic and civic exchange. The artist collaborates with a core team of teachers to design a new curriculum for arts and civics courses.
 
GOALS
• Use contemporary art practice to research local civic issues, then mobilize student and community action.
• Provide a model for interdisciplinary learning in both civics and art courses.
• Present multiple opportunities for positive, change-making action driven by students.

Current Site

Hyde Park Academy High School

  • Delisha McKinney, Teaching-Artist-In-Residence
  • Rhonda Gholston, Art
  • Joanna Jogodka-Petra, Civics

Intended Outcomes

SPACE culminates in student-created artistic projects and civic action plans that address the pressing needs of their community. Youth take the lead as empowered change-agents with the confidence, knowledge, and ability to confront real-world issues.

SPACE resident artists relocate their studio practices, transforming the high schools into creative hubs for artistic and civic exchange. Together with the art and social studies teachers, they codesign and coteach an interdisciplinary socially engaged curriculum.

Long exposure shot of people walking through a doorway with the word Space painted in large font above it
SPACE artist's studio exterior at Curie Metro High School. Photo: Nathan Keay
A group of teenagers gather around a person in a camo collared shirt in a gallery space
Damon Locks leads a discussion around art and civic engagement during an MCA field trip. Photo: Nathan Keay
A group of teens holding postcards and a banner walk outside a brick building
Curie parade to post office, May 31, 2018 Photo: Braxton Black, © MCA Chicago

Past Programs

  • School Partners

    • Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy (IHSCA), Pilsen
    • Curie Metropolitan High School, Archer Heights
    • Sarah E. Goode S.T.E.M. Academy, Ashburn
    • Nicholas Senn High School, Edgewater

  • Teaching Artists

    • Gloria “Gloe” Talamantes
      Artist-in-Residence at Instituto Health & Science Academy (IHSCA)
    • Damon Locks
      Artist-in-Residence at SARAH E. GOODE S.T.E.M. ACADEMY
    • Andres L. Hernandez
      Artist-in-Residence at CURIE METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL
    • Zakkiyyah Najeebah Dumas-O’Neal
      Artist in Residence at NICHOLAS SENN HIGH SCHOOL

Related Events

Related Content

Funding

Lead support is provided by Crown Family Philanthropies.

Major support is provided by the Polk Bros. Foundation.

Additional generous support is provided by Capital One and the Dr. Scholl Foundation.