In Chicago, Veterans Confront the Impact of Militarism Through Art

For followers of craft, a highlight is Freedom Fighters, an exhibition at the Cultural Center in which Chicago quilter Dorothy I. Burge displays portraits of Black soldiers who refused to deploy against demonstrators during the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention, when the Vietnam war split the party. 

Across the city, there are plenty of artists on show whose work incorporates craft methods and materials: ceramists Brittney Chantele Aston and Ehren Tool at Elmhurst; six fiber artists at the Cultural Center, including June Carpenter and Ruth Kaneko; and, at Hyde Park, ceramist Ash Kyrie is joined by five fiber artists, including Amanda Raquel Dorval and Dylan Miner.

The Summit, some 40 events held at the four venues on succeeding days, is a cornucopia of exhibition tours, addresses, and workshops ranging from art- and poetry-making to releasing trauma and building political resistance.

“We’re bringing together artists impacted by war, both service members and civilians,” says Triennial co-curator Amber Zora, “because war doesn’t affect only those who serve in the military; its consequences touch all of us. I hope visitors leave with a deeper understanding of the many ways militarism shapes our lives, but also with a sense that they’re not alone in feeling the exhaustion, grief, and weight of these ongoing conflicts.”