Kathryn Rodrigues & Sullivan High School
Project Overview
For the second year of my residency at Sullivan High School, I visited an after school program focused on performing arts that many of the immigrant and refugee students I got to know during my first year were participating in. I was curious to see the difference with the program being out of school time in an auditorium versus in a classroom. The students were tasked with writing, performing and creating the sets for their performance. I was impressed with how the students collaborated and encouraged each other to get over their initial shyness performing on a huge stage. As with last year, I was struck by the camaraderie between the students and the two teachers who were leading the program. I enjoyed being able to capture the distinctive environment of the school auditorium and spontaneous moments of quiet contemplation, joking around, and working together to create something.
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
