Chicago Designs: New Approaches for Teaching Politics, Commerce, and Culture

What is design history? How might it be taught in a history, literature, or humanities classroom?

Applications are now open for Chicago Designs: New Approaches for Teaching Politics, Commerce, and Culture, a workshop that will explore methods and strategies for incorporating design history into classroom teaching. We welcome applications from university teachers, museum and library workers, and graduate students from across disciplines. Participants will build curricular projects and also learn strategies for teaching with archival collections through hands-on activities and discussions with archivists, curators, and scholars at several different Chicago collections. The seminar will foreground how the study of the history of design in Chicago is meaningfully interrelated with a range of fields of study beyond art history, such as African American studies, American studies, and the history of capitalism. Held in Chicago from June 14-June 17, the workshop will launch in-person at the Newberry Library and include visits to sites across Chicago. Two virtual sessions will take place on June 30 and July 7. Each participant in the workshop will receive a $250 stipend on the first day. A limited number of participants who reside outside the Chicago metro area are eligible for partial reimbursement for the cost of travel and accommodations, up to $500 dollars to defray costs. For more information, including how to apply, please see the Chicago Designs website. Applications are due March 1, 2022.