This semester, our Teen Lab members consider topics related to journeys through creative making and discussion. Lead artist José Olivarez molds this concept through a series of reflection questions.  

 

• What do we lose/gain by leaving one place and moving to another?

• How can we interrogate the everyday material of our lives to gain a better understanding of the voyages we want to take?

• What do we hope to gain on our journeys? Who is on the road with us and what vehicles do we use to travel?

 

José then provokes a new set of questions that consider the power of self expression and the ways art can represent our journeys.

 

• What value does art have in our travels?

• How to artists portray the place that they are from?

• Our various homes are always under threat of erasure (by gentrification, by exile, by demolition, by loss of language etc.) -- how do we create art that honors a place that might only exist in our imagination?  

 

Throughout the semester José has organized art projects, guided tours of the Art Institute, visiting artist lectures, and workshops to explore the ways visual and performing arts can shine a light on the paths we are creating.

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