Essential Workers

Essential Workers in an exhibition of works produced by the support staff of the Harold Washington College Department of Art and Architecture.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the term “essential worker” to the forefront of the media, labor, and social lexicon. Often thought of in terms of healthcare, utility, transportation and agricultural workers, these essential individuals exist throughout society, including within our educational institutions. Given the nature of many of the artistic media taught in the Department of Art and Architecture at Harold Washington College, media that are not suited to remote learning, we were reliant upon the physical presence on campus of our essential workers in the department, including our faculty and our support staff. Department of Art and Architecture support staff, including our lab managers, teaching assistants and student tutors, are essential to the functioning of our department. Though this was drawn in sharp relief during the pandemic, this has always been true. Every student enrolled in courses in the Department of Art and Architecture is impacted by the work these individuals perform, directly, indirectly or both. Our support staff are, were, and will continue to be, essential workers.

Essential work can be thought of in a broader sense than that defined by the pandemic, or even by the nature of the work performed by our staff while on the job. Some of the most essential work that they perform is the creation of artwork itself. Artwork is essential work. Humans have created art since our earliest days and it continues to function as a way for us to understand, relate to, critique upon, and represent ourselves within the world. Though the works in this show represent a wide variety of practices, many common threads can be found between the works. Themes of identity, community, and the environment are prominent throughout this exhibition, but within those wide concepts, many different voices can be heard. The voice and practice that each individual brings to this exhibition is reflected through their work within the Department of Art and Architecture, and strengthens the department through their contributions.

- Stephanie Burke, Exhibition Curator