Illuminating Dignity in the Face of Gentrification and Displacement

625 North Kingsbury Street,Chicago IL 60654

09 September, 2022

Description

Join ART WORKS Projects (AWP) and the National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) for a panel discussion and launch of the exhibition Forest Cove: All of the Above by AWP’s 2021-22 Emerging Lens Fellow Mark Anthony Brown, Jr. This exhibition is a long-form photo documentary story that highlights the experiences of residents as they navigate life in Forest Cove and illustrates an instance of severe housing disparity faced by many communities throughout the United States. The Power of Storytelling: Illuminating Dignity in the Face of Gentrification and Displacement is a panel discussion curated by the National Public Housing Museum to launch the exhibition in Chicago. Brown will be joined by W.D. Floyd, Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and youth educator, and Maurice Edwards, President, Cabrini-Green Local Advisory Council, in a conversation moderated by urban planner and artist Chandra Christmas-Rouse, about the power of documenting the lived experiences of those facing housing injustice amidst gentrification in Atlanta and Chicago. Event Details 625 N Kingsbury Street, Chicago, IL 60654 Doors Open: 4:30pm Panel Discussion: 5:00pm Closing Reception: 6:15pm Join AWP and NPHM Board Members, community housing advocates, and supporters of the arts and social justice at this special event and critical discussion about how ethical and creative storytelling can help to shift policy and support advocacy efforts. In order to protect our community from the ongoing threat of Covid-19, we ask that all attendees please wear a protective face covering and social distance when possible. We also strongly recommend testing immediately before arriving. ART WORKS Projects leverages the power of photography and documentary film to raise awareness and educate the public about some of the most pervasive and grave human rights violations. The Emerging Lens Fellowship Program is AWP’s signature program that awards project support, unrestricted grants, and mentorship to emerging photographers working to document social justice and human rights issues. The National Public Housing Museum is the only cultural institution devoted to telling the story of public housing in the United States. Its mission is to preserve, promote, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper — a place to call home. ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Forest Cove: All of the Above is a long form photo documentary story that chronicles the experience of residents living in Forest Cove, an apartment complex that accepts Section 8 housing vouchers, located in the Atlanta neighborhood, Thomasville Heights. Since 2014, residents have been dealing with empty promises of improved living conditions with not much made on these promises as of summer 2022. Through focusing on residents as they navigate life at Forest Cove, Brown hopes to illustrate the extremity of the living conditions and iterate the critical necessity of relocating families experiencing this untenable situation. Forest Cove is just one example of the extreme housing disparities present in the United States, and through this work, AWP and Brown hope to advocate for equal housing opportunities for all. AWP, in partnership with the National Public Housing Museum is preparing for a multi-city tour which will include oral histories collected from Atlanta and Chicago. Following the September 9 Chicago launch, Brown's exhibition will be on display at MINT Gallery in Atlanta as part of Atlanta Celebrates Photography Fest from October 1 - October 28. ABOUT THE ARTIST Mark Anthony Brown, Jr. is an Ohio native and an artist based in the American South. He primarily works with photography and with photo-based materials. Intrigued by the magic of quotidian experiences, or life imitating art, he focuses on visual depictions of the American 21st century. Brown’s identity as a black American has evident influences on the work produced where the subject matter often intersects with culturally significant themes including: black aesthetics, religious & nonreligious practices, sports, nightlife and urban landscape. Brown is currently a MFA candidate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and is based in Durham, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.