In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, seismic shifts in our economic realities have forever changed our relationships to traditional concepts of labor, equity, and exchange. Believing in the potency of the arts and humanities to illuminate civic issues in our communities, Gallery 400 will present three exhibitions in 2014-2015 that investigate this changing landscape of labor. As one of the nation’s most vibrant university galleries, Gallery 400 is uniquely positioned to address how these economic issues affect local communities, presenting contemporary art as a nexus for social interaction, transformative experience, and multi-dimensional learning.

 

This virtual reading room is a supplement to Standard of Living: Art and 21st Century Economies and Work, an ongoing series of exhibitions that explore shifts in industry and work, how and where economic exchange takes place, new models for sustainable economies, employment-driven migration, and relationships between place, work, and economic viability. Exploring the legacies of industry, immaterial labor, service work, invisible labor and more, the texts and resources in Gallery 400's virtual reading room articulate a variety of responses to the relationships between labor, economy, and politics. Not only does this material offer invaluable information and critical reflection, but also educates and entertains and is intended as a springboard for community dialogues about future exhibitions and public programs. 

 

Gallery 400 is supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the School of Art and Art History; the College of Architecture and Design, and the Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago; and a grant from the Illinois Art Council, a state agency. Additional support for Nice Work If You Can Get It is provided by The Institute for Museum and Library Services.