Installation view of the exhibition.
Norman W. Long: Calumet in Dub
University Galleries of Illinois State University is pleased to present Norman W. Long: Calumet in Dub , from August 16 through September 30, 2024.
Calumet in Dub features an audio installation, photographs, and videos by Chicago-based artist and Illinois State University alum Norman W. Long. This project is a modified version of one that Long recently premiered at the Glass Curtain Gallery at Columbia College, Chicago.
Calumet in Dub bridges Long’s backgrounds in art, landscape architecture, and experimental audio with his interests in memory, environmental justice, and American history. Long engaged in a range of ecological and sound-based research about the area surrounding Lake Calumet and the Little Calumet River, near where he lives. The exhibition title acknowledges both the location addressed and the audio technique of dubbing that he employed.
Inspired by viewing a BBC feature about the connection between the Little Calumet River and the Great Migration, he began to investigate, in his words, “how housing, labor, and environmental activism has coalesced in this location” and how “Hazel Johnson, considered the ‘mother of the environmental justice movement,’ diligently brought these issues to light.”
Long made field recordings, photographs, and videos at historical sites along the Calumet River, including the Jan and Aagje Ton Farm, which served as a safe house along the Underground Railroad, and Indian Ridge Marsh, which currently serves as a wildlife habitat for endangered birds. Other locations include the Acme Steel Company, Steelworkers Park, Beaubien Woods, and a pumping station that aerates the river. Long also collected data on regional pollution and demographics from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Census Bureau. He translated these data into audio files, which he combined with his field recordings and experimental compositions. The resulting soundscapes for Calumet in Dub include surprising combinations of rippling water, rhythmic beeping, and disembodied singing.
Long describes his practice as centering around “walking, listening, improvising, performing, teaching, field recording, and exploring memory, place, ecology, and race.” Each of these elements will come into play when Long leads a Sound Walk around part of Illinois State University’s campus. He has led multiple walks with the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks program.
In addition to the Sound Walk, this exhibition is the center point of multiple programs. University Galleries’ staff is leading art-making workshops for ISU students, K-12 students, and community members. Sensory-friendly times are available. Virtual and in-person curator-led tours are available by appointment. Field trip reimbursements are available for K-12 schools and community organizations.
Norman W. Long: Calumet in Dub is organized by Kendra Paitz, University Galleries’ director and chief curator. This exhibition and programming are supported by University Galleries’ grants from the Illinois Arts Council, Harold K. Sage Foundation, and the Illinois State University Foundation Fund. Workshops and field trip reimbursements are supported by the Lori Baum and Aaron Henkelman University Galleries Community Fund.
Artist biography
Norman W. Long (b. 1973, Chicago) is a sound artist, designer, and composer based in Chicago. His work has been performed and/or exhibited at Yale University’s Center for Collaborative Arts & Media; The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago; Chicago Architecture Biennial; Lincoln Park Conservatory (Chicago); High Zero Festival (Baltimore); Experimental Sound Studio (Chicago); Kavi Gupta Gallery (Chicago); Chicago Cultural Center; Exploratorium (San Francisco); Chicago Artists Coalition; and DEMO Projects (Springfield, Illinois), among many others. Long's Re-Membering/Re-Presencing was commissioned by Threewalls as part of Dreaming of a Future, an exhibition curated by Dr. Jeffreen M. Hayes and installed at the Ford Calumet Environmental Center at Big Marsh Park (Chicago). He has released his compositions on labels including Hausu Mountain, Reserve Matinee, LINE, and Room40. Long has been awarded grants and residencies by Camargo Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicago Artists Coalition, Ragdale, and EMS Elektronmusikstudion (Stockholm), among others. He was the 2011 recipient of the 3Arts Sound Art Award. Long received his Master of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University, Master of Fine Arts at San Francisco Art Institute, and Bachelor of Science in Studio Art at Illinois State University.
Events and programming
All events are free and open to the public.
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Wednesday, August 28 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Independent drawing hour
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Wednesday, September 18, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition reception with Libby Rothfeld, Rafael Soldi, and Norman W. Long
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Wednesday, September 25, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Sound Walk with the artist. Registration required.
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Thursday, September 19 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Write and perform poems in response to artworks on view
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Wednesday, September 25 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Independent drawing hour
- Field trip program, curator-led tours, and workshops available by appointment throughout the exhibition. Reimbursements are available for K-12 schools or community organizations to offset the costs of transportation. Please contact University Galleries at Gallery@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-5487 to schedule an appointment.
University Galleries
University Galleries, a unit in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, is located at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103, at the corner of Beaufort and Broadway streets. Parking is available in the Uptown Station parking deck located directly above University Galleries—the first hour is free, as well as any time after 5:01 p.m.
You can find University Galleries on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and sign up to receive email updates through the newsletter. Please contact Gallery@IllinoisState.edu or call (309) 438-5487 if you need to arrange an accommodation to participate in any events related to this exhibition.
Exhibition Documentation
Educational Resources
Coming soon
Events & Programming
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Wednesday, August 28 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Independent drawing hour -
Saturday, September 7 from 11:00 am to noon
Sensory-friendly morning
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Wednesday, September 18, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition reception with Libby Rothfeld, Rafael Soldi, and Norman Long
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Wednesday, September 25, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Sound Walk with the artist. Registration required.
Thursday, September 19 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Write and perform poems in response to artworks on view
Wednesday, September 25 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Independent drawing hour
- Free curator-led exhibition tours and workshops are available by appointment for classes and community groups. Contact Gallery@IllinoisState.edu to schedule.
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Press
Exhibition Information