Presents
Showcasing Works by After School Matters’ Teens
In commemoration of our 30th anniversary of empowering local youth to explore their talents and shape their futures, After School Matters engaged local artist and educator Lisa Glenn Armstrong to create a projection for Art on theMART documenting the creative work of Chicago teens over the last three decades.
Art on theMART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, projecting contemporary artwork across the 2.5-acre river-façade of theMART (formerly the Merchandise Mart). The After School Matters projection, entitled Shaping the Future, is dedicated to celebrating visual art, dance and music created by teens in our programs—past and present.
The five-minute piece showcases photographs of teen-created public art mosaics currently found across the city, clips of performances by the After School Matters Dance Ensemble, Hi-Def Dance Ensemble and M.A.D.D. Rhythms, all accompanied by music composed by the After School Matters Future Music Creators program.
With the support of Clayco, Shaping the Future will premier on November 26 and run through December 30, shown twice nightly at 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. Viewing Art on theMART is free and best experienced from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk along Wacker Drive between Wells and Franklin Streets, where accompanying audio can be heard clearly.
Art on theMART is presented in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).
Lisa Glenn Armstrong is a multi-disciplinary designer, artist, and educator living in Chicago. She received her MFA in Motion Graphic Design from California Institute of the Arts and her BFA in Graphic Design from DePaul University. Her work focuses primarily on themes of time, space, motion, and the tensions between artificial and emotional intelligence. She currently teaches as a Lecturer of Visual Communication in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago and is part of an electronic music ensemble called Chandeliers.
Art on theMART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, projecting contemporary artwork across the 2.5-acre river-façade of theMART. This expansive permanent piece of public art continues Chicago’s legacy of providing both residents and visitors with exceptional art that is both free and accessible to all. Projections are visible to the public from Wacker Drive and along the Chicago Riverwalk, with accompanying audio available on the jetty section of the Riverwalk. The program content rotates seasonally and is selected with the assistance and expertise of the Curatorial Advisory Board. The City of Chicago and theMART work in partnership to manage and curate the projected artwork over the course of a 30-year agreement. Privately funded by Vornado Realty Trust, owner of theMART, Art on theMART marks the first time a projection of its size and scope is completely dedicated to digital art with no branding, sponsorship credits or messaging. The permanent projection system illuminates theMART with 34 state-of-the-art projectors totaling almost one million lumens. For more information, visit artonthemart.com.
theMART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. As the largest privately owned commercial building in the United States, it is also one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design-forward showrooms, theMART serves as the home to Chicago’s most creative and technologically innovative companies including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies ConAgra, Allstate, Kellogg, Beam Suntory and Grainger. For more information, visit themart.com.
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. For more information, visit chicago.gov/dcase.
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