In 1995,
, associate professor in the College of Education, wanted to start an arts education program that would be relevant to young, at-risk students.
鈥淚 imagined a place where troubled kids in tough neighborhoods could use art鈥攊n all its many forms鈥攖o figure things out,鈥� he says.
The place of Duignan鈥檚 imagination became the Stockyard Institute, a 鈥渢raveling circus鈥� of educational and artistic opportunities for the underserved youth in communities like Back of the Yards and Austin.
The Stockyard Institute finds spaces in Chicago neighborhoods where artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, poets, broadcasters, activists, and educators work with teens in projects and programs that enable the youth to develop, exchange, and disseminate stories and build structures to organize their ideas.
As a model for arts education, the Stockyard Institute combines two worlds, as Duignan explains.
鈥淲hen it comes to creative practice, education falls short in its offerings to a wide range of students; when it comes to recognizing the visionary status of young people, the art world is often closed off. The Stockyard Institute raises questions of what we teach and how we teach it. Here, we invite kids into the design of what they鈥檙e learning; we encourage them to interpret their experiences and become 鈥榩roducers鈥� instead of consumers of content.鈥�
Jumping The Gap
The first project of the Stockyard Institute in 1995 was an art curriculum for a Back of the Yards middle school.
鈥淭he artists were a bunch of boys from neighboring drop-out list,鈥� recalls Duignan. 鈥淚 decided to create projects based on their lives. One of the kids said his greatest fear was being shot in the back on the way to school; so, as a class we designed and built a 鈥榞ang-proof suit鈥� to protect him. Other students were interested in radio, so we built a one-watt station and started broadcasting.鈥�
Since then, the
has worked with youth from nearly 40 area schools, community centers, and social facilities. Duignan鈥檚 idea鈥攖o make art relevant to high school students by involving them in what famed educator and theorist Paulo Friere calls the 鈥渃onstruction of their own knowledge鈥濃�攈as proved successful. His first students were all accepted by private high schools and continued their educations.
鈥淭heir confidence to apply came from feeling chosen,鈥� he says. And Stockyard Institute 鈥渁lumni鈥� came back to teach the next generation. 鈥淣o one really touched by the Institute has completely left.鈥�
See For Yourself
The Institute鈥檚 current incarnation is the Nomadic Studio 鈥� a special exhibit at the 国产麻豆AV University Art Museum (July 8 through November 20) that replicates and is an active Stockyard Institute site in both space and content.
鈥淚n this museum space, we鈥檙e showing new audiences what the Stockyard Institute is all about and how it works,鈥� says Duignan.听
For four months, the art museum has been 鈥渞epurposed鈥� as a working studio鈥攁 space for production, exhibition, development, performance, publication, and education. One half is exhibition and performance space, the other half is an area for production, research, workshops, and the Stockyard Institute printing press. Visitors can see art programs, live music, lectures, a recording studio, radio broadcasts, and more.
The Nomadic Studio is part of Studio Chicago, a year-long, collaborative, city-wide project celebrating the working artist in a variety of contexts through exhibitions, lectures, publications, tours, and research.听
Participating organizations include the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Columbia College Chicago, 国产麻豆AV University Art Museum, Gallery 400 at UIC, Hyde Park Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and threewalls.听
鈥淭he Nomadic Studio is a public exploration of the incidental and provisional spaces where people make art of all kinds,鈥� says Duignan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e representing the artists who work in alleys, park districts, and schools.鈥� 鈻�