South Side Stories: The Art & Influence of Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs, 1960-1980, and explores the many facets which have contributed to the legacy of Dr. Burroughs (1917-2010) as a creator, placemaker, mentor, and activist during a period of radical social change.

South Side Stories:

The exhibition looks at the Art & Influence of Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs, 1960-1980, and explores the many facets which have contributed to the legacy of Dr. Burroughs (1917-2010) as a creator, placemaker, mentor, and activist during a period of radical social change.  This exhibition looks at Burroughs’ work through four lenses: as a creator who used the visual and literary arts to share her perspective with the world: as a placemaker who saw a need for representation and preservation of Black contributions; as an activist who fought for race, gender, class and political equality; and as a mentor who encouraged and communed with artists of her generation and beyond.

Born in St. Rose, Louisiana 1917, Margaret Taylor moved to Chicago with her family as a child during the Great Migration.  She would grow to become one of the city’s most celebrated figures and a principal founder of many South Side projects, including the South Side Community Art Center, Lake Meadows Art Fair, and the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.  The exhibition encompasses a wide range of artists, media, and archival materials, placing Burroughs’ work in conversations with those of her artistic contemporaries and mentees.  The institutional photos, document, chapbooks, and pamphlets on display narrate the museum’s early history, while objects and personal papers donated by Burroughs reveal a lifetime of artmaking and community-building.

Margaret Taylor Burroughs (American, 1973), Woman, 2006. Acrylic on canvas with cowrie shells. From
the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center collection. Dimensions are 32 1/4 height x 48 1/2 inches wide.

Margaret Taylor Burroughs (American, 1915-2010), Woman, 2006. Ink on paper; dims. unknown. From
the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center collection. Dimensions are 21 inches height x 16 1/4 wide.

Margaret Taylor Burroughs (American, 1915-2010), Woman, 2006. Ink on paper. From
the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center collection. Dimensions are19 1/2 wide x 14 1/4 height.