CPS Lives is now Artists in Public Schools

Faheem Majeed

Faheem Majeed is a builder—literally and metaphorically. A resident of the South Shore neighborhood in Chicago, Majeed often looks to the material makeup of his neighborhood and surrounding areas as an entry point into larger questions around civic-mindedness, community activism, and institutional critique. As part of his studio practice, the artist transforms materials such as particle board, scrap metal and wood, and discarded signs and billboard remnants, breathing new life into these often overlooked and devalued materials. His broader engagement with the arts also involves arts administration, curation, and community facilitation, all which feed into his larger practice. Majeed received his BFA from Howard University and his MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Painters and Sculptors Grant (2015) and a Harpo Foundation Awardee (2016). From 2005-2011, Majeed served as Executive Director and Curator for the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) and from 2013–2015 he served as the associate director and faculty of UIC’s School of Art and Art History. In 2015, he co-founded the “Floating Museum” which blends creative place-making, activism and exhibition design to creates temporary, site-responsive museum spaces to activate sites of cultural potential throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods. Currently, Majeed is a full-time, practicing artist and creates work in his South Shore studio.

Faheem Majeed & Daniel Hale William Preparatory School of Medicine, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable High School, and more

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What Shall I Tell the Children

What Shall I Tell the Children is a series of photographs, taken by artist Faheem Majeed, of black and white linocut prints produced by Dr. Margaret Burroughs (1915 – 2010) which can be found in vast number Chicago Public Schools. Burroughs’ print works depicted positive images of women, notable black figures, and scenes of racial unity. For Majeed, these prints represent a time when Burroughs either visited the school to speak with students or donated prints to a principal or teacher to encourage and thank them for their tireless work and commitment.

Burroughs once challenged Majeed as an artist asking “What will you tell the children? What is the legacy that you will leave?” These questions resonated with Majeed and remain top of mind when considering Burroughs’ life. A talented artist and poet, Burroughs had numerous achievements including the creation 100’s of original linoleum block and woodcut prints, numerous poetry publications, founding the DuSable Museum of African American History, the African American Museums Association, the South Side Community Art Center, and the National Conference of Artists.

In addition to teaching out of her home in Bronzeville, which was the original site of the DuSable Museum, she also taught at DuSable High School for more than 20 years. Teaching and inspiring youth was at the core of her life’s work.

Schools included in this series are Daniel Hale Williams Preparatory School of Medicine Jean Baptiste Point DuSable High School, Wendell Phillips Academy High School, Arthur Dixon Elementary School, and William H. Ryder Math & Science Specialty Elementary School.