The Chicago Public Library is excited to announce its fall 2026 programming for its Renaissance Project, an initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation to increase access to archival materials that reflect Chicago’s rich Black history. These Fall programs will highlight the lesser-known African American voices and bring the library’s extensive archives to life through engaging workshops and performances. The programs offer something for everyone to discover.
Explore Chicago rich Black cultural history through programs celebrating trailblazers like NFL pioneer Fritz Pollard, muralist Calvin B. Jones and social work leader Geraldine Lane Mardis, alongside Dilla the Urban Historian's free Mahogany bus tours and poetry workshops with inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young. Together these events highlight the city's artistic, athletic and civic legacies while inviting participants to create, learn and connect.
Each workshop and performance will offer a brief introduction on the individual or organization that inspired the program highlighting archival materials from the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection at Woodson Regional Library and Special Collections at Harold Washington Library Center.
Events
These programs are free and open to the public and can be found on our website under the Renaissance Project program type. Event highlights are below.
Featured Events
Renaissance Project Presents: Dilla the Urban Historian Special Mahogany Tours
These are a series of free bus tours for ages 8 and up hosted by Dilla the Urban Historian. Drop off points take place at Woodson and Hall.
Registration required.
Inspiration from the Archives featuring Chicago Inaugural Poet Laureate, avery r. young
Chicago’s inaugural Poet Laureate, avery r. young, will join us in person to discuss how archives have long fueled creative work and how they can continue to do so. Fresh from the debut of his opera safronia, he will be in conversation with CPL staff about navigating archival materials and the distinctive richness of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection in particular. The workshop wraps up with fun writing exercises to spark creativity.
Branch Workshops
Meet Calvin B. Jones: Mini Mural Workshop
Chicago artist Calvin B. Jones, a key figure in the Black Arts Movement and influenced by AfriCOBRA’s bold “Cool‑Ade” colors, created murals across the city of Chicago. Making Mini Murals is a family‑friendly program introducing the Calvin B. Jones Papers and exploring the question “Whose murals get saved?” Participants will learn about Jones’s vibrant, African‑print‑inspired style and create their own mini murals inspired by his work.
Meet Fritz Pollard: The Fredrick Douglass - Make a Team Pennant
Fritz Pollard, a Chicago Native and Lane Tech graduate was a pioneering Black athlete who became the first Black NFL Coach and founded the all-Black Chicago Black Hawks and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2005. This is a family friendly program where participants learn about his legacy and create their own pennant representing a favorite team, community, school, or idea.
Meet Chester Commodore: Drawing and Illustration 101
Chester Commodore is one of the most influential and acclaimed African American cartoonists. During the nearly 50 years his cartoons appeared in the Chicago Defender, he used his art to advocate for racial justice, human rights, and equality of opportunity. This workshop led by artist Anthony Fowler Jr., will explore Commodore's work through selected pieces from our archive and teach participants elements of drawing and comic book illustration.
Sculpt like Hunt and Perkins: A Creative Sculpting Workshop
This workshop highlights the accomplishments of Black Chicago sculptors with a spotlight on Richard Hunt and Marion Perkins. Create your own mixed-media sculptures using clay, wire, cardboard, aluminum foil, and paint in this family friendly workshop. Led by artist Joy Joshua.
Meet Geraldine Lane Mardis: A Hand-on Beauty Workshop
Mardis, a Parker High School and University of Chicago graduate, is one of Chicago's first Black medical social worker, rising from orthopedic and cerebral palsy clinics to directing social work at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital. The beauty workshop is welcoming for teens, adults and seniors to explore makeup as self-expression, build confidence, and connect with others in a supportive community space.
Meet Dr. Leonidas Berry: Make a Plane Workshop
Founder of the Flying Black Medics, learn about the renowned gastroenterologist and build a plane in this family friendly workshop
Let the Church Say Amen: Make a Handheld Fan
This program used church-related archival materials to show how everyday objects, like the hand fan, reveal the history of faith communities, their role in social change and their impact on civic life today.
Chicago's Electric Blues Heritage and History: Diddley Bow Workshop
Inspired by the history of Chicago’s renowned blues guitarists extracted from CPL’s archives, participants will build their own cigar box guitar. Musician Coco Elysses will present the diddley bow’s history, demonstrate its sound, and then instruct on how to build the instrument.
Meet Captain Walter H. Dyett: A Musical Celebration
Walter Henry Dyett, the legendary DuSable High School music educator, shaped Chicago's Jazz sound by mentoring generations of vocalists and instrumentalists who went on to achieve global fame. This special concert program offers a history of Capt. Dyett followed by a jazz trio performance featuring music by his internationally renowned students.
The Universe, Black Chicago Aviators and Astronauts
Using an Afrofuturistic lens of the universe, this multi-media presentation explores space travel in Black music and Chicago's history as the capital of Black aviation in America to demonstrate how this unique legacy is responsible for many Black Chicagoans taking flight as pilots, even producing one of the nation's first Black astronauts.
Archives
We invite you to explore more materials at the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection at Woodson Regional Library and the Special Collections at Harold Washington Library Center, which inspired programming for the Renaissance Project.
Select materials from CPL’s archives have been digitized and can be found in our online digital collections.