Kathryn Rodrigues & Sullivan High School
Project Overview
With a parent in the military, most of my childhood was spent moving every couple of years, often outside of the U.S. By the time I was beginning high school, I had moved 10 times within 5 countries. I grew up going to International Schools where my peers came from all over the world and spoke many different languages which had a huge impact on my worldview. This experience has led me to be fascinated by the ambiguity of simultaneous belonging and longing, separation and closeness, the known and unknown.
In researching CPS schools I came across Sullivan High School, which has the highest population of immigrant and refugee students in Chicago, and knew I wanted it to be the site of my residency with CPS Lives. I was curious how students are able to balance acclimating to American culture while also retaining and celebrating the culture in which they came from. I began visiting the school weekly and making portraits of the students while also sharing our individual journeys to Chicago via Google Earth. We explored how memory works and what smells, sounds, and sights can trigger memories of home. I was struck by the close bonds students have made with each other, often across different cultures and backgrounds. I wanted to make portraits that celebrate these friendships and the beauty and vibrancy that this population brings to Chicago.
Meet the Artist
Kathryn Rodrigues
Portrait by Tia Mitchell
Kathryn Rodrigues is a Chicago based artist and educator. She was born in Georgia and within weeks was on the move to her family’s next destination. Her family moved to 10 different locations within the next 13 years, including Brazil, Mozambique, Portugal and Germany, before finally settling in Illinois. Being raised as a “third-culture kid” left her with a deep interest in cultural identity, notions of belonging and longing, domestic life, and the natural world. She often uses both visual and symbolic systems of mapping in her work as a way to express her interior life and navigate the world around her. Her work represents an investigation of and a reflection on the collection of experiences and memories that shape her identity. Kathryn received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Art Education from the Massachusetts College of Art. She has taught courses for children and adults at the Massachusetts College of Art, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Marwen. Exhibition highlights include the Chicago Cultural Center, Copley Society of Art, Woman Made Gallery, Midwest Center for Photography, Spilt Milk Gallery, Open House Contemporary and ARC Gallery.
Visit their Website
Kathryn Rodrigues is a Chicago based artist and educator. She was born in Georgia and within weeks was on the move to her family’s next destination. Her family moved to 10 different locations within the next 13 years, including Brazil, Mozambique, Portugal and Germany, before finally settling in Illinois. Being raised as a “third-culture kid” left her with a deep interest in cultural identity, notions of belonging and longing, domestic life, and the natural world. She often uses both visual and symbolic systems of mapping in her work as a way to express her interior life and navigate the world around her. Her work represents an investigation of and a reflection on the collection of experiences and memories that shape her identity. Kathryn received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Art Education from the Massachusetts College of Art. She has taught courses for children and adults at the Massachusetts College of Art, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Marwen. Exhibition highlights include the Chicago Cultural Center, Copley Society of Art, Woman Made Gallery, Midwest Center for Photography, Spilt Milk Gallery, Open House Contemporary and ARC Gallery.
Visit their Website
Portrait by Tia Mitchell
