Supporting Illinois' Arts Sector

Floating Museum, an innovative art collective based in Chicago, is transforming how we perceive the intersection of art, community, and architecture. Co-directed by avery r. young, Andrew Schachman, Faheem Majeed, and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, the organization creates site-responsive art that reflects the infrastructure, history, and aesthetics of different spaces. Their mission is to foster dialogues through art, encouraging communities to explore the potential relationships between art and public institutions. Through their distinctive approach, Floating Museum continues to engage audiences in meaningful conversations about cultural memory and community identity.

As part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Floating Museum most recently presented Floating Monuments: for Mecca at the historic Daniel Burnham Roundhouse of the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. This exhibit, showcased from February 14 to 16, 2026, brings the memory of the historic Mecca Flats back to life. Mecca Flats, once a vibrant hub for Black cultural life in Bronzeville, was demolished in 1952, yet its legacy persists. The installation, a ghostly inflatable sculpture, acts as a vessel for memory, encouraging reflection on urban renewal's impact on community spaces. By engaging visitors with photographs, writings, and sound recordings, for Mecca not only honors the lost architecture but also surfaces broader themes of displacement and cultural erasure.

After DuSable, for Mecca is set to travel to various locations, including Springfield, Illinois, and multiple Chicago parks. This journey allows the monument to reach a broader audience, continuing to educate and inspire discussions on historical memory and community resilience. Through these travels, Floating Museum aims to highlight the ongoing narrative of cultural preservation and the vital role of art in commemorating and sustaining community histories. The collective's efforts to engage with local communities ensure that these important stories are not forgotten but rather celebrated and understood within the broader context of urban and cultural development.

Tali Weinberg is a distinguished interdisciplinary artist and weaver based in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Her artistic practice explores the interconnectedness of ecological and human health, earning her international recognition. Her work is housed in esteemed collections such as the Berkeley Art Museum and the Georgia Museum of Art and has been highlighted in prestigious publications including The New York Times and American Craft. Weinberg is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Illinois Artist Fellowship and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, and has participated in residencies at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, among others. She holds an MFA from California College of the Arts and dual degrees from New York University.

Currently, Weinberg is showcasing her work in "Fragments and Layers," a collaborative exhibition with Erin Furimsky at Giertz Gallery in Champaign, Illinois, through March 31. Additionally, her work can be seen in "Water | Craft" at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, which explores the intersection of craft and climate concerns. She is collaborating with the Morton Arboretum on a workshop that translates tree species data into weavings, slated to open for registration in March. This summer, her new pieces on the emerald ash borer's impact will be part of "The Forest for the Trees" at Chautauqua Institution.

Reflecting on her recent achievements, Weinberg credits the Illinois Arts Council's Creative Accelerator Grant for enabling her to focus on local projects. "With IAC’s support, I’ve settled into a studio space, purchased essential tools, and started building relationships within the Illinois art community," she says. "I’m thrilled to present new work at Parkland College’s Giertz Gallery and to collaborate with Chicago’s Morton Arboretum. My lived experiences of Illinois’ environmental and health challenges have been at the heart of so much of my research over the last several years, and I’m happy to now have opportunities to share the resulting work here at home."