This body of work centers on the closures of over 40 schools, which
disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities across Chicago’s
North, South, and West sides. While city officials cited underperformance and
underutilization as reasons for the closures, Pope’s work highlights the deeper
realities: the abrupt dismantling of vital educational structures left families
in underserved neighborhoods to cross gang lines or travel long distances to
attend new schools. Some schools were repurposed as community centers or
union halls, while others were transformed into high-end lofts. The majority,
however, remain boarded up and abandoned, leaving a profound void in the
fabric of these neighborhoods.

Read more about the exhibition and the artist hereThe (Mis)Education of Chicago