Dorian Sylvain and Norman Teague
Dorian Sylvain and Norman Teague are South Side–rooted artists and designers whose collaborative work on the Anna and Frederick Douglass Pavilion is grounded in a shared belief that art and design are essential tools for community reclamation, cultural memory, and collective empowerment. Sylvain and Teague are Chicago natives currently living in Hyde Park and South Shore respectively, and both place community revitalization and engagement at the center of their individual and collective practices.
For more than four decades, Sylvain has leveraged public art as a catalyst for education and civic dialogue. With a background in theater, set, and scenic design, her mural work is distinguished by its strong visual narratives and its commitment to addressing race, equity, culture, and freedom often instigating difficult but necessary conversations within the public realm. In 2024, Sylvain received the 3Arts Teaching Artist Award, recognizing her long-standing dedication to community arts education and her leadership in engaging youth across Chicago in the design and execution of murals throughout the city.
Teague, a designer and professor, approaches community engagement through the making of objects, spaces, and design systems that are deeply embedded in neighborhood contexts. His work spans the South Side and includes projects such as Dorchester Gardens, Sounding Bronzeville, and spatial designs for community-centered institutions including Leaders1354, Bronzeville Winery, The Silver Room. Teague curated Designer’s Choice:Jam Sessions at the Museum of Modern Art (2024–25), reimagining iconic objects through generative AI, Black craft, and cultural memory, and participated in Everlasting Plastics, the 2023 U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago’s School of Design, holding an MFA from SAIC and a BA from ColumbiaCollege Chicago.
Together, Sylvain and Teague devote their practices to amplifying the beauty, resilience, and historical depth of Black communities. Their collaboration on the Anna and Frederick Douglass Pavilion merges public art, design, education, and community engagement to honor the Douglass family’s legacy while creating a living civic space rooted in justice, literacy, and collective memory. This funding will allow them to expand the impact of their work.
Featured Artworks
Artwork by Dorian Sylvain
“The Talk_BLM”, 2020 MacArthur Foundation, South Side Community Art Center
Artwork by Dorian Sylvain
Artwork by Dorian Sylvain
Africana
Artwork by Norman Teague
Artwork by Norman Teague
Artwork by Norman Teague
Dorian Sylvain and Norman Teague has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $125 raised of $6,000 goal
- 55 Days 00:42:50 LEFT
The Anna and Frederick Douglass Pavilion is a transformative public space designed to honor the legacies of the Douglass Family while fostering cultural pride, inclusivity, and community engagement. The development of this project was inspired by a youth led campaign …
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