World-renowned artist Theaster Gates and the Prada Group will reveal and celebrate the 14 designers who will participate in the inaugural cohort of the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab on Tuesday, April 5, at the Stony Island Arts Bank.
The Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership of Theaster Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, Rebuild Foundation, and the Prada Group, is a three-year program curated to support and amplify the work of designers of color working across the creative industries. Fourteen global designers and artists—seven of whom are Chicago-based—have been nominated and selected by a committee of design industry leaders to form the program’s first-ever cohort.
The celebration of awardees will begin with opening remarks from Gates, followed by a panel discussing diversity in design and the importance of institutional investments in creating more equitable creative industries through providing resources for designers of color to excel.
WHAT: Official announcement of the inaugural cohort of Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab Awardees
WHEN: Tuesday, April 2022, 6 p.m. Central
WHO: The panel will include:
- Theaster Gates, artist, and chair of Prada Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council
- Professor Sarah Lewis, Associate Professor of History of Art and Architecture and African and African-American studies at Harvard University
- Dr. Louise Bernard, Director of the Museum of the Obama Presidential Center
WHERE: Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60649
This announcement reinforces Theaster Gates’, Dorchester Industries’, Rebuild Foundation’s, and the Prada Group’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the fields of art, design, and fashion. In addition to receiving financial support to launch new, innovative projects or continue working on existing creative endeavors, the awardees will have unique opportunities to foster relationships with one another, global corporations, and design leaders. For more information on the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, please visit www.dorchester industries.com.