Free + Open Chicago
Design Museum of Chicago
Through April 3, 2023
The Design Museum of Chicago explores the unique and ever-evolving landscape of design in their latest exhibition, Free & Open Chicago. The exhibit celebrates their 10-year anniversary by showcasing places that are free and open to the public year-round.
Design surrounds us. Its broad impact and inescapable force drives us – from the planning of our streets to how we protect Lake Michigan. The exhibition creates a database in the form of a map highlighting communities, locations, and free experiences around Chicago.
The exhibition also features community partners that impact the design of communities all around Chicago. Each has a distinct influence on Chicagoans shared design history while being free and open to the public, just like the Design Museum. Partners range from the National Museum of Mexican Art, the most prominent first-voice institution for Mexican Art and culture in the United States, to the Global Garden Refugee Training Farm, a productive garden started by 42 refugee families from Burma and Bhutan to uplift traditional strengths of refugees from rural backgrounds. Other exhibitors include alt space, Busy Beaver Button Museum, Chicago Bridgehouses, Garfield Park Community Plaza, James R. Thompson Center, Pilsen Arts & Community House
The exhibit also showcases a new poster series dedicated to their most free and open resource, Lake Michigan. Artists from the series include: Amid Alavi, David Alvarado, Alyssa Arnesen, Bridget Bilbo (GingerrBridge), Sage Coffey, CzrPrz, Elloo (Elloo), Josh Epstein (TotesFerosh), Won Kim, Adrianne Hawthorne (Ponnopozz), Jeremy Hlinak, Matthew Hoffman (You Are Beautiful), Rod Hunting, Cheryl Kao, Ashley King, Kelly Knaga, Shawn Smith (Shawnimals), Unyimeabasi Udoh, Helen Wargo, Jo Zhou.
Finally, the exhibit features a new Little Free Library inside an old converted bank vault. This public bookcase aims to increase access to design and art books for readers of all ages and backgrounds. Contribute by taking or sharing books.
DESIGN MUSEUM OF CHICAGO
72 E Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60602
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