I Used to Live in Chicago Exhibition Opening May 3, 2026

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I Used to Live in Chicago is a multidisciplinary exhibition exploring memory, displacement, and cultural resilience across Chicago’s historically black neighborhoods. Curated by Anefertiti Bowman, the exhibition brings together leading contemporary artists Norman Teague, Max Sansing, and Steve Bravo, alongside elder Chicago artists Sura Dupart, Tyrue “Slang” Jones, and Patric McCoy. Together, their work forms a layered, intergenerational dialogue rooted in lived experience, cultural memory, and the evolving realities of the city. Through furniture and object-based design, mural-scale painting, sculptural forms, and graphic storytelling, the exhibition examines what it means to belong to a city in constant transformation and who retains access to space, identity, and legacy amid redevelopment and erasure. This will be beloved muralist Max Sansing’s first fine art exhibit featuring large scale oil on canva paintings. Young creators from Futuregrow’s cultural career mentorship program will be helping with production and promotion of this important South Side exhibit. About the Curator Anefertiti Bowman is a curator, art administrator, and cultural strategist whose work centers community, memory, and Black cultural production. With over a decade of experience across the nonprofit, corporate and institutional sectors, she is known for creating safe spaces that are both critically engaged and deeply human. Throughout her career she has worked and collaborated with visionary artists and institutions including Kara Walker, Calida Rawles, Fred Moten, Shirin Neshat, The Getty, the California African American Museum, and Otis College of Art and Design. About Futuregrow Futuregrow is a cultural media program and mentorship platform dedicated to equipping the next generation of storytellers with the tools, access, and skills to explore careers within the arts industry. Co-founded by Doug Kenney, the program operates at the intersection of culture, technology, and work-based learning providing young people from underrepresented communities with hands-on training from professionals in design, video journalism, photography, event production, and more. The exhibiton runs from 4/10 to 5/24. See you at Blanc Gallery 4445 S. MLK Drive