Chicago’s inventive spirit will fuel the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center c/o Virgil Abloh. The polymath intends the space to not only provide its own jolt of artistic energy, but also to reinforce the role that creative output has in shaping the future.
Hand-picked partners, ranging from graphic designers to photographers, will host workshops and mentorship programs that introduce the fundamentals of a variety of disciplines.
Confirmed Mentors
- Chuck Anderson (Graphic Design)
- Paul Octavious (Photography)
- Alyx Harch (Fabric Design)
- Thomas Kelley and Carrie Norman (Brand Identity)
- Ann Lui and Craig Reschke (Architecture)
The Re-Creation Center’s mentorship program welcomes 10 Chicago-area creatives for an immersive eight-week experience with Abloh and the wider group listed above. Each will have the opportunity to advance the skills of their respective practice and engage with complementary areas of expertise. Commencement is marked by the presentation of a final project.
Abloh will kick-start the programs with a panel discussion on the historic impact of Chicago’s cultural impact on the world and set the stage for the merit of enabling a new generation of homegrown talent to blossom.
The space also highlights Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe initiative, which transforms worn-out athletic shoes into Nike Grind.
An Abloh-designed community basketball court in Chicago, set to open in advance of NBA All-Star 2020, will be built out of Nike Grind. The collective experiments of all who gather at the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center c/o Virgil Abloh may well catalyze new ideas.
About Nike Grind
For 25 years, Nike Grind has diverted waste from landfill and transformed it into a variety of outputs ranging from apparel to basketball courts and demonstrate just one example of how to consider the full lifecycle of a product.
The NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center c/o Virgil Abloh opens from May 31 to July 28 at 673 N. Michigan Avenue.
