artist Archives

Breaking the Grid: Why “The Hat” makes us happy

For those of you who don’t routinely follow breaking news in the world of geometry, we’re all worked up (in a good way) about “The Hat.” It was discovered in late 2022 by David Smith, a retired printing technician from northern England, whose hobby was hunting for interesting geometric shapes. When he realized he was […]

Apr 25 2023 by Nancy Lerner in Breaking the Grid

Figures of Speech: Gordon Parks

“I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs. I knew at that point I had to have a camera.” There is perhaps no individual who conveys the power and prose of photography more than Gordon Parks. One of the iconic photographers of the twentieth […]

Feb 22 2023 by The Otherwise Team in Figures of Speech

Sounding Boards: Eastlake Studio’s Mural Initiative Amplifies Chicago Voices

At Otherwise, we believe in the power of art to bring communities together, ignite important conversations and explore the world around us through a critical lens. We recently found inspiration in Sounding Boards, an initiative that uses public art as a vehicle to amplify diverse voices throughout Chicago. Technically speaking, a sounding board is placed […]

Sep 15 2021 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid

How to Use a City: Jim Duignan on Quietly Creating a Radical Social Art Practice in Chicago

‘I’ve been working quietly in the cracks of the city my whole life and all of a sudden there’s a kind of light shining that is often too bright and too constant.’ Born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, Jim Duignan has devoted his life to reinvesting in the city’s most under-served […]

Aug 18 2021 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid