The City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events invited Rick Valicenti to curate a major exhibition of recent object and graphic design. CHGO DSGN showcases over 200 designers and more than 300 works. A record-breaking 2,000 people attended the opening reception on May 30, 2014. The exhibition attracted over one visitor per minute — 66,000 visitors by closing.
[CHGO DSGN] is a fantastic snapshot of what’s going on here and a great testament to the talent we have in this town. A real contribution to the field.
— Zoë Ryan, Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at The Art Institute of Chicago
CHGO DSGN may be the arrowhead of a new talent and tourism attraction strategy, oriented toward the global creative class.
— F. Philip Barash, Assistant Design Editor of Newcity
Rick, I'm grateful for all that you're doing for Chicago's design community—you're generating terrific energy, presenting design in remarkably engaging ways, and helping make design feel more integral to the life of the city. We're very lucky to have you here.
— Cheryl Towler Weese, Studio Blue
Exhibition photography © Hedrich Blessing Photographers
The exhibition displays were designed by Tim Parsons, Associate Professor of Designed Objects at the School of the Art Institute, and in the spirit of Chicago's history of printing and manufacturing, they were built using industrial materials.
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