STEELWORKERS PARK
We are creating a Gathering Space at Steelworkers Park!
A Gathering Space is a community-based public place that combines public art with the culture of the area surrounding it. At Steelworkers Park, a Gathering Space will reflect community identity, and help people connect to nature and to each other. The Gathering Space will be a place to:
Learn about the site’s rich cultural and ecological history
Build on the pride and activism shared by the people of diverse cultural heritage who worked in the steel mills and lived in the adjacent neighborhoods with their families
Serve as a tribute to steelworkers
Celebrate the present, remember the past, and envision the future
Connect with a local green space
The Gathering Space will incorporate artistic and interpretive elements that reflect community-identified themes. It will span approximately 30 x 30 feet, including seating and an area for programs. The Southeast Chicago Historical Society will facilitate its use for community programs, school groups, and performances, as well as educate about the site’s past and present. The Chicago Park District will oversee the installation process. The Field Museum will coordinate the project.
How do we create a Gathering Space at Steelworkers Park?
It starts with community engagement and a vision for an arts-based, eco-cultural site. The Southeast Chicago Arts & Culture Committee (SECACC) of local artists, the Southeast Chicago History Museum, the Steelworkers Park Advisory Council, and the Field Museum, together with the Chicago Park District, will talk with local residents and organizations about the themes they want to see represented in the Gathering Space, and the kinds of activities and programs they would want to hold there. A Curatorial Committee of mainly local stakeholders will be part of the engagement process and they will select a local artist (or team of artists) to design and build the Gathering Space, based on input gathered from community members.
What happens after the Gathering Space is completed?
It will be available for everyone to use! Meet a friend, bring the family, plan a program, or attend an event. The SECACC will maintain and expand community involvement and programmatic use of the space. This will include implementing opportunities to link the spaces to new amenities, opportunities, and infrastructure developed in and around the park.
How long will it take to create the Gathering Space?
The whole process will take about 18 months, roughly Spring 2026 through Summer 2027.
This project is generously supported by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
Photos © Matthew Kaplan 2025
PLAN YOUR TRIP
GET INVOLVED
For more information about creating a Gathering Space at Steelworkers Park, contact Madeleine Tudor at mtudor@fieldmuseum.org or 312-665-7471. Community engagement and input sessions will be held in May 2026, and opportunities for program development will be ongoing.