Making Space

The project consists of four parts: a mural, a documentary, a Juneteenth partnership, and a scholarship. How can we create a lasting reflection of the activities of the summer of 2020? What space can we make to allow for peaceful and impactful gatherings of community members to engage? How do we elevate equity in our community? These questions arose in response to the historic summer of 2020 and the response that Elgin’s community had to the killing of George Floyd. Elgin’s residents came out and peacefully protested along with many others across the nation. Downtown businesses were largely boarded up in an abundance of caution based on the looting happening in other communities; happily, no looting or damage occurred in Elgin. Local artists and activists activated to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement artistically on the boards adorning the businesses. An ad-hoc group of community individuals (now known as the Elgin Social Justice Collective) came together and worked to identify a project that would address those questions. Using the board-ups as inspiration, a professional mural artist will be commissioned to design, develop, and install a mural permanently in the downtown working in collaboration with our community. The community will be encouraged to participate in the actual installation of the mural, during which opportunities to engage with other community members and begin building relationships will be plentiful. The entire process of this new mural will be documented, including interviews with the original board-up artists and community members participating in the project. The documentary, as well as ways to donate to the scholarship will be noted on the mural itself. The mural will be unveiled during the annual Juneteenth Celebration. Also, a part of the Juneteenth celebration will be an installation of ‘Art Cubes’ which will serve as a blank canvas for community members to use art to speak to their experiences with the Black Lives Matter movement and its impact on their lives. These ‘Art Cubes’ provide an artistic and spontaneous engagement opportunity annually. Images of some of the artwork will be used to start a t-shirt campaign to raise funds for two purposes: a second scholarship for the existing Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship program, which is awarded annually to Elgin students who have demonstrated an active interest and meaningful involvement in the areas of human rights, civil rights, social justice and/or world peace. The second purpose is to raise funds and awareness for the permanent mural to be installed. Making Space is sponsored by the Elgin Social Justice Collective, Elgin History Museum, Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, Healing Illinois, The Chicago Community Trust, Elgin Human Relations Commission, Illinois Humanities, Downtown Neighborhood Association, Elgin Area Chamber, Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery, and Side Street Studio Arts.