Juan Hernandez
& Benito Juarez High School
Juan Hernandez & Benito Juarez High School

Project Overview

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  • Artist — Juan Hernandez

  • School — Benito Juarez Community Academy

  • Neighborhood — Pilsen

For the 2022-2023 school year, Juan Hernandez embarked on the “Movimiento” project, aiming to capture the essence of movement within Benito Juarez High School. Recognizing movement as a representation of changes in physical or emotional space, action, time, or freedom, Juan encourages students to create a set of photographs depicting various aspects of movement in the school environment—crowded hallways, slow-moving clocks, school sports, and changing views outside windows. These diverse snapshots will be mailed to Juan, who plans to paint select images, transforming them into artworks to be displayed strategically around the school, each chosen location reflecting varying degrees of movement. Juan’s interest lies in exploring how movement is interpreted across different artistic mediums, within physical spaces, and as fixed art.

Throughout the project, Juan envisions the school becoming a canvas for these artistic expressions, where even the subtlest movements, like shuffling in lines or the rush in hallways, take on a heightened significance. By intertwining photography and painting, Juan aims to create a dynamic representation of movement that engages both the senses and artistic interpretation.

Meet the Artist

Juan Hernandez

Juan Hernandez, CPS Lives, Chicago Public Schools

Juan Hernandez is an incarcerated artist born and raised in Chicago. His artwork has been exhibited at Angelica Kauffman Gallery, dragonFLY Gallery, Art in Odd Places, and others. He has been featured in Latino Rebels and he is a 2022 grant recipient of The Puffin Foundation. His work can be found online at instagram.com/jch_convictedart

Visit their Website

Juan Hernandez is an incarcerated artist born and raised in Chicago. His artwork has been exhibited at Angelica Kauffman Gallery, dragonFLY Gallery, Art in Odd Places, and others. He has been featured in Latino Rebels and he is a 2022 grant recipient of The Puffin Foundation. His work can be found online at instagram.com/jch_convictedart

Visit their Website
Juan Hernandez, CPS Lives, Chicago Public Schools

Previous Residency

Alyce Haliday McQueen & Ravenswood Elementary

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Artists in Public Schools (AiPS) makes art a vital part of public schools. Each donation fuels collaborations that inspire students and elevate artists, bringing diverse voices to the forefront of Chicago’s cultural landscape. All donations, no matter the amount, are greatly appreciated and help our organization make a lasting impact on the lives of artists, CPS students and faculty, and their communities.