The National Public Housing Museum

POWER OF PLACE: CAMPAIGN FOR THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM WILL TRAIN A DIVERSE GROUP OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORAL HISTORIANS AND IMPLEMENT PLANS FOR AN ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE OF STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING. THE MUSEUM WILL WORK WITH A SOCIAL JUSTICE ARCHIVIST TO DEVELOP AND PRESENT A WORKSHOP SERIES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COLLECTION, PRESERVATION, ARCHIVING, AND ETHICS. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETE THE TRAINING WILL BECOME PART OF THE ORAL HISTORY CORPS. THE PROJECT INCLUDES DEVELOPING A FINDING AID FOR THE ARCHIVE THAT SHARES AUTHORITY WITH THE NARRATORS IN PRESERVING THEIR STORIES. MUSEUM STAFF WILL USE THE ORAL HISTORIES IN A MONTHLY SERIES OF PROGRAMS AS A CATALYST TO INFORM PUBLIC POLICY AROUND HOUSING INSECURITY. IN COLLABORATION WITH FACULTY AT ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY, MUSEUM STAFF WILL DEVELOP A CLASS FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND LIBRARY SCIENCE STUDENTS ABOUT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE SCHOLARSHIP METHODOLOGIES.

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP A PARTICIPATORY EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING EXPLORING THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY AND, CONVERSELY, THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY IN THE CREATION AND CELEBRATION OF MUSIC. THE EXHIBITION AND RELATED PROGRAMMING WILL BE CO-CURATED WITH CURRENT AND FORMER PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS AND MUSEUM VISITORS AND WILL FEATURE THE STORIES OF MUSICIANS WHO LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING WHILE SHOWCASING PUBLIC HOUSING ARTISTS’ MUSIC AND DANCE. PROJECT GOALS ARE TO ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES AND COMBAT STEREOTYPES; DEVELOP RECIPROCITY AND TRUST BY DEMONSTRATING THE MUSEUM’S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO BEING A PARTICIPATORY MUSEUM AND AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS; ACTIVATE THE POWER OF MEMORY AND PROVOKE CIVIC CONVERSATIONS; AND SUPPORT MUSICIANS WHO HAVE LIVED OR CONTINUE TO LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING.

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM WILL ADVANCE THE WORK OF ITS ENTREPRENEURSHIP HUB, AN INNOVATIVE CREATIVE PLACEMAKING INITIATIVE THAT INVESTS IN THE ASSETS OF CHICAGO'S PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES. IT WILL SUPPORT THE HUB'S SOCIAL JUSTICE BUSINESS SCHOOL; ITS DROP-IN PRO-BONO BUSINESS SERVICES FEATURE PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR HR, FINANCE, MARKETING, WEB DEVELOPMENT, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND MORE; THE RESIDENT-OWNED COOPERATIVE MUSEUM STORE, AND ITS STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS. THE HUB AIMS TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS WITHIN IT PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES, LEVERAGE THE POWER OF THE CITY'S CREATIVE CLASS, INNOVATE NEW MODELS OF MUSEUM-COMMUNITY COLLABORATION, AND TRANSFORM THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING BY EMPOWERING ITS INHABITANTS TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES, WHILE ENGAGING IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. BY ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF THESE COMMUNITIES THROUGH ORAL HISTORY, STORYTELLING, AND DESIGN THINKING, THE HUB WORKS TO REIGNITE AND SUPPORT A LEGACY OF CREATIVITY, SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND COMMUNITY WEALTH.

RECORDS OF RESILIENCE: STORIES FROM PUBLIC HOUSING [THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM'S(NPHM) PROJECT WILL COLLECT, PRESERVE, AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE ORAL HISTORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE FIRST-VOICE NARRATIVES ARE VITAL RECORDS OF EXPERIENCES OF COMMUNITIES MADE VULNERABLE ON MANY FRONTS. FORCED TO ADAPT TO CHANGES WROUGHT BY HOUSING INSECURITY, AS WELL AS DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS OF COVID-19, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS, PUBLIC HOUSING CULTURE-BEARERS BRING STORIES OF RESILIENCE THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTANDING OUR NATION?S COMPLEX HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES. WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH CURRENT AND FORMER RESIDENTS, THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ENHANCE OUR ARCHIVE AND ITS STUDY, WITH A FOCUS ON NARRATIVES FROM PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED CHALLENGE AND CHANGE IN THE FACE OF COVID-19, CLIMATE THREATS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE. A COMMON THREAD FOR ALL OF THE PROJECT?S ORAL HISTORIES IS HOUSING PRECARITY, ITSELF A DRIVER OF COMMUNITY DISRUPTION.]

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM WILL UNDERTAKE A NEW PHASE OF HISTORY LESSONS: EVERYDAY OBJECTS FROM PUBLIC HOUSING BY CREATING A SERIES OF ROTATING EXHIBITIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC HOUSING IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI; AND THE OSAGE NATION IN OKLAHOMA. PROJECT STAFF WILL ENGAGE IN A PARTICIPATORY EXHIBITION DEVELOPMENT APPROACH WITH HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND RESIDENTS IN THE THREE SELECTED LOCATIONS TO GIVE VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES OF FORMER AND CURRENT PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS. AS PART OF THE CO-CURATION PROCESS, PARTICIPANTS WILL WORK WITH CONTRACTED TEACHING ARTISTS IN STORY CIRCLES AND WORKSHOPS TO WRITE TEXTS FOR THE EXHIBITIONS AND SELECT OBJECTS FOR DISPLAY. TO EXPAND THE PROJECT’S REACH EXHIBITION IMAGES AND ASSOCIATED TEXT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE. EXHIBITION VISITORS WILL DISCOVER NEW STORIES OF HOPE AND RESILIENCE, MAKE CONNECTIONS TO PEOPLE AND HISTORY THROUGH EVERYDAY OBJECTS, AND BROADEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.

TO SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES COSTS IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

OUR STORIES: RESIDENT VOICES OF PUBLIC HOUSING

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT PUBLIC PROGRAMMING TO ACCOMPANY HOOPS, A PERMANENT ART INSTALLATION DESIGNED BY MARISA MORÁN JAHN.

TO SUPPORT AN EXHIBITION FEATURING WORK BY NATHANIEL MARY QUINN AND ACCOMPANYING CATALOGUE.

TO SUPPORT THE RESTORATION AND REINSTALLATION OF NEW DEAL ERA PUBLIC ART WORKS ON THE GROUNDS OF THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM.

TO SUPPORT THE PRESENTATION OF PERFORMANCES OF "EMERGENCY," A ONE-MAN SHOW BY DANIEL BEATY, IN CONSORTIUM WITH THE DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN