National Public Housing Museum

Opening this week! “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother” at the National Public Housing Museum. Join us Thursday for an opening celebration that features a conversation at 5:30 pm between @nathanielmaryquinn and @robertjsmith3 . . . . Lead support for the exhibition and related programming is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and Gagosian. Special thanks to Rhona Hoffman for her support in making this exhibition possible.

Groundwaves is coming back May 26th-31st! May 26 - Groundwaves Open Mic featuring @denirofarrar @coprosperitychicago May 27 - Skywaves Open Aux featuring @iamslota @coprosperitychicago May 29 - Friday Fun @whitesox May 30 - Overflow Open Mic + Open Aux @coprosperitychicago May 31 - Groundwaves Generations featuring @datboysaid @thenphm

❤️Appreciating this thoughtful review in @artapartofculture by critic/curator @barbara.martusciello in which she compares the HOOPcycle to a few of @krzysztof_wodiczko ’s public artworks: both affirm engagement in civic space as a democratic impulse. With the @thehoopcycle , the MesoAmerican basketball court on wheels I created with @segal_rafi , the vehicle activates players to figure how it’s played, its rules, how to play together (or against each other). Wodiczko’s “interrogative designs” (a term he coined) take forms of serious play that invite passersby explore the site in relationship to users in new ways.   But Martusciello picks up this self-same impulse shared by Wodizcko, myself and Rafi, and many others who go to study at MIT — a vested interested in collaboration and civic experimentation. Rafi’s work arrives at the HOOPcycle somewhat directly: he plays bball, is a practicing architect interested in transforming public space, and he teaches at MIT as a professor in architecture + urbanism. For myself, throughout my twenties and thirties, I created a number of vehicles which I saw as kits to explore the unknown. After I learned of Wodiczko’s work, I applied to study at @actmit where he taught. Years later when I myself taught at MIT, Columbia, and now at Parsons, I’ve continued to share Wodiczko’s timeless writing about layered, and imbricated publics that can inhere in a single project. You can read Wodiczko’s essay alongside writings by others (including me) in a recent @mitpress book called @interrogativedesign edited by @@ianwojtowicz . #interrogativedesign #hoopcycle #artanddemocracy

“Baby, you can be the best artist you can be.” Artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn shares memories of his mother, Mary, with @hyperallergic . On Mother’s Day, we honor all those who fill us with conviction, love, assurance, and support. Opening soon! “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother” debuts later this month at the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago.

“The yellow pages and the walls of his living room became his first canvases.” For @newcitymag this month, Lucas Gomez-Doyle previews “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother,” opening May 21 at the National Public Housing Museum. On the cover: @nathanielmaryquinn “Charles: Re-visited,” 2015, Black charcoal, gouache, soft pastel, oil pastel, and paint stick on Coventry Vellum Paper, 50 x 38 inches (127 x 96.5 cm). © Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Photo: RCH, Courtesy the artist and Gagosian.

Coming soon—we are honored to present internationally acclaimed artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn’s (@nathanielmaryquinn ) first solo museum show in Chicago. Opening May 21 at the National Public Housing Museum, “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother” explores the artist’s formative years growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes, which he describes as “my first studio.” 🔗 Join us for the opening celebration and artist talk, and learn more about the show at the link in bio. Lead support for “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother” and related programming is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and Gagosian. 📷 Photo: Kyle Dorosz. Courtesy the artist and @gagosian .

“Hell, artists got to eat just like other people,” said Harry R. Hopkins, the first administrator of the Works Progress Administration. During the same era when the US government built the first public housing developments—including the Jane Addams Homes in Chicago—it also recognized art-making as an important form of labor and supported artists and the arts through the popular Federal Art Project. On International Workers’ Day and every day, we invite you to learn more about the legacy of the WPA and recognize artists as workers. The National Public Housing Museum’s “Housing for All, Art for All, Posters for the People” installation includes a news reel of laborers building the Jane Addams Homes, historic WPA posters that link housing to the general public good, and a collection of new works commissioned from “citizen printer” Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., for guests to take away for free. [1] Detail of “Housing for All, Art for All, Posters for the People” installation of prints by @kennedyprints [2] Still, “A Better Chicago,” Produced by the Commercial Department of Pathe News for the Works Progress Administration. [3] WPA posters at the National Public Housing Museum, photo by Joe Nolasco.

Two of our GCYC culinary apprentices, Taylor and Tyler, had the opportunity last week to work alongside Chef @mychaelbonner at an event @bridgeportartcenter - specifically the National Public Housing Museum @thenphm “A Place to Call Home” Spring Gala 🌸 With over 300 attendees, they got a true behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to execute an event at that scale and played a hands-on role in making it happen. This is just a glimpse of what’s possible in the GCYC youth culinary program! If you or you know someone ages 14–24 and looking for a meaningful employment opportunity - the Gary Comer Youth Center is currently accepting applications for summer jobs in our culinary and urban agriculture programs that run for 6 weeks from June- August. APPLICATIONS CLOSE MAY 15TH - link in bio to apply #garycomeryouthcenter #chicago

As we wrap up April, we’re not only grateful for the weather warming up, but also for the recognition of Fair Housing Month. Since the Fair Housing Act was signed into law on April 11, 1968, the month of April has reflected the efforts of members of the public to work against housing discrimination and promote fair housing for all. This month—and throughout the year—we are dedicated to educating ourselves and others, reflecting on our efforts, and seeking out ways to take action. Remember, anyone can be an advocate for housing justice! Here are some ideas about how you can observe and support fair housing: — Explore the titles in the 2026 Fair Reading List that discuss important issues including discrimination and equality, including books such as “The Fight for Fair Housing” by Greogory Squires and “A Stronger Kinship: One Town's Extraordinary Story Of Hope and Faith” by Anna-Lisa Cox — Watch films and videos that educate on fair housing topics, including titles such as Segregated by Design and Home: Access Denied — Attend fair housing events in the community: fairs, presentations, fundraisers, and more — Listen to the National Public Housing Museum’s oral history based podcast "Out of the Archives" to learn about the experiences of current and former public housing residents — Make a donation to organizations whose work contributes to improving fair housing — Say YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) to promote growth in your community and become part of the pro-housing social movement

Freestyle in the rec room at the Nation public housing museum @thenphm Found this fat Joe record in there collection and got this video in so support the space! Day 119 of 365 days of freestyles 🎥: @dj_jg

Thank you to everyone who made the 2026 A Place to Call Home gala such a success! It was a joy to gather last week with over 440 guests—civic and cultural luminaries, artists, corporate leaders, and the public housing community—to honor Denis Pierce, Matthew Desmond, and Jackie Taylor. The event featured incredible performances from Tom Tom Washington and his South Side Big Band, and from members of the Black Ensemble Theater. Plus, a gracious welcome from our co-hosts Mirja Spooner Haffner, Liz Thompson, and Francine Washington, and beautiful stories and reflections from many other dear friends of the museum. Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our fundraising goal in support of the National Public Housing Museum’s mission and award-winning exhibitions and programs, helping us to sustain a vibrant cultural hub where all are welcome to learn, connect, and be inspired. 📷 Photos by Joe Nolasco.

May 3 at @thenphm in Chicago - Groundwaves Generations with @therealmrlif @therealeternia @djmanti @kuumbalynx . Free food and activities for all ages starting at 1pm, let’s go!!