Chicago History Museum to Unveil Latest Installation in “Chicago: Crossroads of America” Exhibition
CHICAGO (September 21, 2026) — The Chicago History Museum will unveil the “Westside Love Map” project, a new installation created in collaboration with West Side preservation group Capstone Clique, to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 22, as part of the Museum’s permanent “Chicago: Crossroads of America” exhibition.
Created by artist Kent Jones, the installation features three hand-drawn maps of Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Austin, filled with Westside residents’ drawings, memories, meaningful places and wishes for the future.
The “Westside Love Map” project is the result of a year-long collaboration between Capstone Clique and the Chicago History Museum. The partnership grew from a shared mission to preserve and share Chicago stories and make history accessible for future generations. Through the project, Westside residents contributed their perspectives and experiences to maps of their neighborhoods, creating a record of the people, places and memories that hold meaning for them.
“The Westside Love Map project demonstrates the transformative value of community partnerships: when museums listen and respond in kind, communities gain greater visibility and agency in how their histories are remembered,” said Erica Griffin-Fabicon, Elizabeth F. Cheney Director of Education at the Chicago History Museum. “Capstone Clique brought deep knowledge, relationships and lived experience of the West Side to our partnership, while the Museum was able to provide resources, preservation practice knowledge and a broader platform for the stories. Together, we hope the project reflects how residents experienced history, what they love about their communities and their hopes for the future.”
Capstone Clique is a Chicago-based storytelling collective dedicated to documenting, preserving and celebrating the history culture and lived experiences of Chicago’s West Side. The group uses photography, documentary filmmaking, oral history, public art, educational programming and community engagement to share those stories.
The Chicago History Museum has worked with Capstone Clique previously to highlight the city’s Westside, including through supporting and hosting a screening of Capstone Clique’s “Love Letter to the Westside,” a historic preservation short film that documents and tells beloved stories of Chicago’s Westside through the lens of 14 prominent leaders. Learn more here: chicagohistory.org/love-letter-to-the-west-side.
“Westside Love Maps is about honoring the people, places, memories and stories that make our communities special,” said Capstone Clique. “As Westsiders, we know the importance of our stories being seen, heard and preserved as a part of Chicago’s history. This project gave residents a chance to share what they love about their neighborhoods and see those stories reflected in the history of our city. We are proud to have built this with the Chicago History Museum and grateful for the opportunity to bring Westside stories to a space where they can be experienced by generations to come.”
The installation highlights the importance of community storytelling in preserving Chicago history and reflects the broader focus of “Chicago: Crossroads of America,” which explores the people, places and experiences that have shaped the city.
“Maps are never neutral, and there is power in the representation of spaces, places and neighborhoods,” said Chicago History Museum Curator of Religion and Community History Rebekah Coffman. “This project is a powerful reminder of what it means to share authority and allow communities to represent their own histories and places of meaning.”
On September 30, from 5 to 8 p.m., Capstone Clique and the Chicago History Museum will host an evening of film, storytelling, community conversation and connection to celebrate the new installation, as well as the people, places, memories and stories of Chicago’s Westside. The event is free and open to the public with an RSVP. Find more information and reserve your spot here: eventbrite.com/e/westside-love-maps-exhibition-tickets-1997968445404
The “Westside Love Map” project will be on display through March 2027 at the Chicago History Museum beginning Tuesday, Sept. 22.
For more information or questions, please contact Emily Miller, Public Communications Manager, at [email protected] or (312) 799-2161.
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ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. A major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, and images to assist in sharing Chicago stories. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.
