Nathaniel Mary Quinn's Fragments of Home at National Public Housing Museum
In early 2025, the National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) in Chicago, the sole museum in the United States focused on public housing, will establish its permanent location at the Jane Addams Homes, which were constructed in 1938. The inaugural temporary exhibition, titled "Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother," is curated by Lisa Yun Lee and will be on display until August 23. Quinn, who gained recognition for his artwork on a Rolling Stones album, was raised in the Robert Taylor Homes. This exhibition showcases ten portraits inspired by his childhood home around 1984. The museum will also feature displays of residents' personal belongings, the Millers River Apartments, and recreated living spaces, alongside outdoor installations addressing art, design, human rights, and the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan of Transformation.
Key facts
- The National Public Housing Museum opened its permanent home in Chicago in early 2025.
- The museum is located in the sole remaining section of the Jane Addams Homes, constructed in 1938.
- The exhibition "Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother" runs through August 23.
- The exhibition is curated by Lisa Yun Lee, executive director of the NPHM.
- Nathaniel Mary Quinn grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side.
- Quinn is represented by Gagosian and illustrated the Rolling Stones' latest album.
- The show includes ten portraits and a living room evoking Quinn's family home circa 1984.
- The museum's courtyard features restored limestone animal sculptures by Edgar Miller.
- Andrea Carlson's mural "Still Here: Zhegagoynak" acknowledges the land as unceded by the Potawatomi.
- The Chicago Housing Authority's Plan of Transformation led to the largest net loss of affordable housing in US history.
Entities
Artists
- Nathaniel Mary Quinn
- Andrea Carlson
- Amanda Williams
- Olalekan Jeyifous
- Marisa Morán Jahn
- Rafi Segal
- Edgar Miller
- Hannah Höch
- Francis Bacon
- Romare Bearden
- Johannes Vermeer
Institutions
- National Public Housing Museum
- Gagosian
- Rolling Stones
- Chicago Housing Authority
- Hull-House Museum
- Open Engagement
- UIC School of Art & Art History
- Manual Cinema
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Jane Addams Homes
- Robert Taylor Homes
- Brooklyn
- Crown Heights
- Cambridge
- Massachusetts
- Indiana