Seeds In My Pocket
Seeds Application is now closed.
About SEEDS IN MY POCKET
Root systems grow from a radicle at the center of a seed, expanding fibrously and entangling with their environment. They rewrite the ground’s source code, laying a foundation for a habitable ecosystem. Like seeds, the artists of Seeds In My Pocket stem from a radical self, deeply embedded in dynamic histories and journeys.
Seeds In My Pocket (Seeds) is an annual initiative by Chicago Art Department (CAD) that centers BIPOC voices and celebrates Chicago neighborhoods. This program bridges storytelling and visual arts to directly support artists, performers, storytellers, and other creative practitioners from across Chicago’s diverse communities.
SEEDS V: COMING WINTER 2025!
Seeds program objectives include (1) Fostering collaboration and unity between artists from different neighborhoods, (2) Creating a platform for BIPOC-majority communities to showcase their work, (3) Generating conversations and artworks that address shared civic challenges and neighborhood histories, (4) Providing professional development and networking opportunities for participating artists.
SEEDS HISTORY (2021-2024)
Seeds in my Pocket was developed in 2021 during year two of the pandemic — a period which saw mental, physical, social, and political unrest happening across Chicago and the nation. In light of this tension and unrest which was intensely felt in Pilsen, CAD set out to bring people together to find common ground, asking artists to identify and visualize shared civic challenges inside of Chicago's history. Seeds was also an opportunity to re-learn how to share space with one another in the midst of Covid-19.
The Inaugural Seeds cohort was led by muralists and co-curators Dorian Sylvain and Pablo Serrano who highlighted, examined and raised voices from South Shore and Pilsen. Despite being impacted by years of gentrification, white flight, marginalization, and pervasive redlining practices, migrants and immigrants still made their mark, expanding and contracting to shape their own stories and collective identities. Participating artists created large-scale murals which debuted at CAD in March 2021. Supporting Seeds programs included virtual artist talks with Seeds curators, along with a virtual book discussion featuring Lesle Honore, led by CAD board member Erika Dudley and CAD Resident artist Silvia Ines Gonzalez. Seeds 2021 artists included: Dorian Sylvain, Pablo Serrano, Alma Dominguez, Diana Solis, Celia Benito Kahari Black, Kari Blak, Katon Black, Mateo Zapata, and Moises Salazar
With growing support from the Field Foundation, Arts Work Fund, and Crossroads Fund in 2022, CAD was able to grow our pilot Seeds initiative into an annual offering between Chicago’s many BIPOC communities. Seeds 2022 cohort was led by Sam Kirk (Little village) and Alexei Young (North Lawndale). Seeds 2022 saw the creation of four interactive public artworks: 10 artists created murals on installations depicting people and scenes from Little Village and North Lawndale as well as messages of strength, activism, resilience, and community celebration. The four moveable mural benches now reside at Englewood Village Plaza (5800 S. Green Street) and Roseland Community Forest Garden (10356 S. Wabash). The exhibition debuted at CAD on October 14, 2022 and supporting programs included an in-person Artist talk, along with an Open Mic event where Chicago youth expressed themselves using song, poetry, spoken word, and rhyme. The Open Mic event was our culminating Seeds offering for 2022 and was led by community organizer Elgin Smith of Stomping Grounds, along with Seeds Co-curator Alexei Young. Seeds 2022 artists included: Sam Kirk, Alexie Young, William Estrada, Dre Rodriguez, Marcus Alleyne, Gerardo Duran, Alan Moreno, Andre Rodriguez Jr., James Freeman, Isaac Ayala and Nick Baker.
With support from the Terra Foundation in 2023, Seeds in my Pocket evolved to become Seeds Healing Stage. This mycelial evolution bridged the performing and visual arts, amplifying direct support for artists, performers, storytellers and other creative practitioners from across Chicago’s diverse BIPOC communities. Seeds 2023 program partner was Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative, and partners included PO Box Collective (Rogers Park), Tortas Y Talento (Edgewater) Gage Park Latinx Council (Gage Park), and Free Street Theater (Pulaski/Casimer Park). This joining of several BIPOC-led, justice-driven organizations opened up the program to more artists opportunities with four exhibition openings/open mic events and collaborations with over 100 artists through 2023.
In October 2024 artists from McKinley Park and Englewood began meeting for CAD’s fourth Seeds cohort, who worked together toward a culminating exhibition that opened on December 13, 2024. Englewood artists included: Chelsey Sinceŕray, Grand Wright, Kenya Moffett-Garner, and Deon Reed as program Lead. McKinley Park artists include: Sarita Hernandez, Stuti Sharma, Shruti Bakre, Joseph Josue Mora, Mayra Hernandez, Chau Tran, and Marimacha Monarca Press as program lead. 2024 themes explored (1) Resilience, Remembrance, and Resistance: Exploring community resilience, memory, and challenges, (2) Environmental Regeneration: Highlighting the coalescence of community movements, (3) Cultural Influence: Reflecting on the influence of Black migrants, Mexican immigrants, and other BIPOC communities in Chicago, (4) Historical Layers: Peeling back and embodying layers of history, leaving a lasting mark.
Check back for announcements on our 5th seeds cohort!