A public art project, started by a Western Illinois University History professor to commemorate the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, has received a $200,000 grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Chicago Monuments Project.
For nine years, the Weinberg/Newton Gallery has highlighted art with a social justice message. The final exhibition, ‘Disarm, Everyday Violence, Every Day,’ focuses on the city’s issues with violence and segregation.
The memorials, glass bricks that will be installed on city streets, will commemorate those who suffered during some of the worst instances of racial violence in Chicago history.