Inspiring Creativity

Museum of Science + Industry Chicago’s Black Creativity program includes a juried exhibition for professional and student artists.

For the past 50 years the Museum of Science + Industry Chicago has paid tribute to the culture, heritage and contributions of African American artists with its Black Creativity event. Initially called Black Esthetics—and conceived and organized by a group of local Black artists and key staff members of the Chicago Defender—it has grown from its original Juried Art Exhibition to include a slate of educational programs and a gala. In 1984 the program changed names to Black Creativity and expanded to include science and technology, a cornerstone of the museum.Alexander Bostic, Lexus, casein on wood, 18 x 19 x 3". Photos by Akilah Townsend/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.

The Juried Art Exhibition is the highlight of the programming and is one of the longest running shows featuring Black artists in the United States. As the show has grown, the impact of the exhibition has only flourished. This year more than 700 submissions were received and the four-person jury had the difficult task of selecting the artwork to exhibit based on merit, quality, technique and messaging. There is no cap to the number of works that can be selected, so each edition is unique. This year 133 pieces by professional artists will be on display through July 5.Lexus Giles, She is Me, ceramics, 22 x 16 x 8"The range of artwork in the exhibition is one of its hallmarks, because there are no limitations on theme, medium or style of pieces the artists can submit. This year viewers will be treated to paintings, mixed media, photography, sculpture and even fashion. Since the show is juried, the artists who have works on view changes each year, so every time someone attends the event it’s a brand-new experience.David Buttram, Hot Wings, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 x 1½"There also is an awards component, with the jurors selecting their top three pieces to receive cash prizes. This year Alexander Bostic’s painting Lexus was bestowed the highest honor. The portrait is an honest and beautiful portrayal, showing his adeptness at painting emotion and sensitivity. “The painting Lexus was a portrait of one of my ex-students and she is also in the show,” explains Bostic, who has entered the exhibition for several years. Along with the artist who he’s featured in his painting, six others who are Bostic’s students and mentees are participating.Thomas Williams, Divine, oil on canvas, 41 x 29"

Second place was awarded to Rory Scott for the digital animation Arum, while the third prize went to Kamau Bostic—who is Alex’s son—for his digital photograph Deer Skull of a young man holding a deer skull in his hands. Other artwork in the exhibition includes the ceramic sculpture She is Me by Lexus Giles and Thomas Williams’ oil Divine, which has vivid colors and fine details. Ashley Robinson’s oil and copper leaf on canvas painting Metamorphosis is another standout.

Black Creativity is also recognized for its dedication to future generations, by creating opportunities to generate interest in innovation and creativity among young people of color. “It has become, over the course of time, a vehicle for young artists to start their careers, which is exciting,” says Manny Juarez, the museum’s director of science and integrated strategies. “The student art exhibit is part of the Juried Art Exhibition program and features the work of high school students from the Chicago area. All student work is given a place in the show in the balcony, which we call the West Pavilion. We’ve done that over the last few years in order to differentiate the professional group on the ground floor, but also give a nice nod to the work that the young artists are doing.”Jerry Jordan, A New Song, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"

Also on display as part of the Black Creativity program is the Innovator Gallery, which acknowledges the achievements of African Americans, based in Chicago, who are leaders in art, science, technology, engineering and medicine. The yearly honorees are people who are making an impact in their communities and who are paving the way for future generations. For 2021, four innovators were selected to be featured: Tonika Lewis-Johnson, creator of the Folded Map project; poet and spoken word artist J. Ivy; architect Taylor Staten, who is founder of TnS Studio; and Ian Borck, the co-founder of Dream Hustle Code, which provides after-school coding programs on Chicago’s South and West sides.Ashley Robinson, Metamorphosis, oil and copper leaf on canvas, 36 x 36"New this year is the complementary exhibition Black Creativity: Art and Activism, which “showcases images of the artistic and public response within the Chicago community to the protests during the summer of 2020.” Featured will be a commissioned artwork by muralist Jamiah Calvin and local teen artists. Another addition to the programming is an online art gallery of the adult and youth works in the Juried Art Exhibition, which will allow the show to be viewed from anywhere in the world, expanding its reach and impact beyond the museum walls. —

Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition
When: Through July 5, 2021
Where: Museum of Science + Industry Chicago, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637
Information: (773) 684-1414, www.msichicago.org