We are our stories.
North Lawndale, the neighborhood, is made up of thousands of stories of its residents, past and present. We are excited to feature some of these stories as part of a “living history” of the neighborhood.
This is an evolving exhibit, with additional photo portraits coming to other areas of North Lawndale. Follow us at @lawndalepopupspot on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
We also invite YOU to share your Lawndale photos and history with us. Use the hashtag #lawndalelivinghistory to participate on social media.
We hope you enjoy this exhibit! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email us at lawndalepopupspot@gmail.com.
Artist Statement
I am Jay Simon.
A photographer and curator who documents and explores the world of black and brown life through an artistic lens.
I create digital imagery to grasp the attention of people, through objects and structures often overlooked. This exploration helps me engage more with finding beauty in hidden figures, while allowing me the ability to connect and be present with where I am in space and time.
I enjoy capturing vulnerable candid moments. I photograph people in their natural environment because I strive to preserve a special moment in time. Recently, I’ve focused on portraits and architecture structures to capture mood through light and composition.
As an artist living on the West Side of Chicago and resident of the North Lawndale community, I’m inspired by my elders and ancestors to create photos that reference memories of legacy, landmarks, and family.
This collection of work comes from my desire to preserve those monumental moments during my lifetime. My choice of subject comes from my interest in history, story-telling, beauty, and the emotional connection people have with places and things.
Jay Simon, Photographer / Curator
Exhibition Video
Stories from the elders and mentors featured in Lawndale: A Living History
By James Fields
Map of Locations
Lawndale: A Living History has expanded beyond our museum and is now in multiple sites across North Lawndale. Take a look at the map below and visit all the locations for the full experience of the exhibition.
Lawndale: A Living History is a project of the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot and our partners: North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society, Chicago Public Library Douglass Branch, Chicago History Museum, Gardeneers, and Men Making a Difference. Great thanks to StoryCorps for recording, editing, and making available the oral histories in this exhibit, and to the Field Foundation of Illinois for funding that helped make this possible.
This exhibition wouldn’t be possible without the help of our youth exhibition team: Epiphany Collins, Terreon Collins, India Gilliam, Habibah Khalid, Kayla Lewis, Tyrese Pough, Takira Ramsey, Jamary Seymore, Octavia Sharp-Goodman, and Brandi Washington.
Project Team: Peter Alter, Delilah Anaya, Nathaneal Cole, James Fields, Francis Fullam, Brittany Harthan, Jonathan Kelley, Blanche Killingsworth, Annamaria Leon, Sophie Lopez, Chelsea Ridley, Mary Bess Ser, and Nancy Zook.
Thanks as well to Nathaneal Cole, Alejandro Garcia, Kent Jones, Michael Rivera, and the GROWSS committee of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council.
And eternal thanks to all the “features” who agreed to share their photos and stories with the world!
Douglass Branch
