When thinking about public space, oftentimes “public” suggests large groups or impersonal interactions. The images displayed in this installation highlight the small, tender, and often unnoticed encounters that frequently take place in public spaces—invoking feelings of belonging and nostalgia that emerge along with a sense of community ownership.

These home movie stills were selected by a multigenerational team of co-curators composed of film donors, local high school students, South Side artists and project interns. The curation team was inspired to recall the easy intimacy and comfortable public life that we yearn to return to, and to stay grounded in the positive transformations of the past year—tapping into the community’s long history of mutual care.

“Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love feels like in private.”
- Dr. Cornel West

Visitors may also stroll around the perimeter of the Arts Lawn construction site to view the entire banner installation which features 24 photographs from Rose Blouin’s Washington Park Summer 1987 Series and 6 original works by artist Edo.

Click here to learn more about the Arts Lawn, the banner installations and contributing artists.