Art reflects and interprets the society we live in. Monica Rickert-Bolter knows this all too well. As a visual artist and co-founder of the Center for Native Futures, she works closely with artists and curators to amplify Black and Indigenous histories and influences through art.
“We have the agency to tell our own stories. We are the future our ancestors hoped for and for which they endured the unimaginable,” said Rickert-Bolter, who identifies as Potawatomi and Black. “Erasure has touched both communities; however, amazing folks are working to rectify and re-establish the importance and influences of Black and Indigenous people.”
Art Design Chicago (ADC) is a platform for showcasing Black and Indigenous identities and the intersections between the two cultures. An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art, ADC provides support for organizations across Chicago hosting events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s rich artistic heritage.
Rickert-Bolter’s artwork is being featured in two upcoming ADC exhibitions: “Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland” at the Block Museum of Art on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus from Jan. 26- July 13, 2025, and “Still Here: Linking Histories of Displacement” opening this month at the National Public Housing Museum.
Over the past year, Rickert-Bolter and her brother Joel Rickert have been collaborating on an Afro-Indigenous futurism graphic novel retelling the story of post-colonial Chicago founders, Jean-Baptise DuSable and his wife Kitihawa, a Potawatomi woman who is often omitted from DuSable’s narrative.
“However, her influence shifted the outcome of his life, and their love story deserves to be shared,” Rickert-Bolter said. “For ‘Still Here,’ we will present our concept art and character design and feature an animatic (a live storyboard) with original music and narration. We hope to breathe new life into their legacy.”
Camille Billie, a Black Indigenous printmaker and multimedia artist, was commissioned to work with archival materials to create “Of Stone and Husk,” a regalia piece connecting her home community in Oneida Nation, Wisconsin and her new home in Chicago. The piece was on display at Newberry Library’s “Indigenous Chicago” exhibit last fall.
“I’m from the rez,” Billie said. She moved to Chicago about six years ago, spending five of those years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Urban Black and Indigenous settings and their histories are different than where I came from, although deeply and directly connected,” Billie said, adding that those histories are overlooked. She’s still learning about them, and said it’s important to build and grow with one another to remember where we come from.
“Before I moved here, I was told stories about the Mohawk Skywalkers and how they helped build huge buildings like the Sears (Willis) Tower through ironwork. They helped build all kinds of skyscrapers and bridges across Turtle Island dating back to 1886. They made me excited to be in the city,” Billie said. Turtle Island is a term used by Indigenous peoples, primarily those in North America, to refer to the continent. “The history and resilience of Black and Indigenous culture throughout Chicago’s history influence our present and future as creators and community members.”
Through dozens of art exhibits and events, ADC emphasizes changemakers like Billie and Rickert-Bolter.
Rickert-Bolter said she gets goosebumps thinking about what these exhibitions will inspire and the evolution of Chicago artists.
“Chicago has a badass history that goes beyond what is taught in the schools, and initiatives like ADC highlight the city’s unique artistry,” she said.
Check out these Art Design Chicago exhibitions open now and later in January
- Chicago Works | Andrea Carlson: Shimmer on Horizons, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, open now through Feb. 2
- Theaster Gates | When Clouds Roll Away: Reflection and Restoration from the Johnson Archive, Stony Island Arts Bank, open now through March 16*
- Robert Earl Paige: Give the Drummer Some!, Smart Museum of Art, open now through July 31*
- Still Here: Linking Histories of Displacement, opening February 2025*
- Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland, The Block Museum of Art, Jan. 26- July 13, 2025*
- Living Stories: Contemporary Woodland Native American Art, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, Jan. 27, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026
For a full calendar of Art Design Chicago exhibitions and events, visit artdesignchicago.org.
*Free admission
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