Civic Season | Independence Day

Name: Civic Season | Independence Day
Start: 2024-07-04T09:30:00-05:00
End: 2024-07-04T16:00:00-05:00
Location: Chicago History Museum

Schedule

Thu Jul 04 2024 at 09:30 am to 04:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Chicago History Museum | Chicago, IL

Included with admission, which is FREE for Illinois residents on this day!
What actions will you take to be a more engaged citizen? How will you stay informed about issues affecting your community? Find inspiration for your civic participation. Connect with community-serving organizations, learn about the civic superheroes of our past, and explore your creativity during multiple art workshops.
Learn more about Civic Season: https://www.chicagohistory.org/civicseason/
SCHEDULE
Starting at 9:30 a.m.
Livestream of July 4th with the National Archives!
Grab a seat in the Robert R. McCormick Theater to view a livestreamed reading of the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives.
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Outdoors in the Rear Plaza
– Family-friendly Games
– Pretty Cool Ice Cream Giveaway
– Collaborative Mural Activity: “My Civic Participation Looks Like . . .” – Reflect on how you envision civic and community support for Chicago by contributing to a collaborative mural with local teaching artist Natalia Virafuentes.
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Exhibition Activation
Visit the Facing Freedom in America exhibition and learn about the role the Declaration of Independence had on defining American freedom. Explore period artifacts, get an up-close view of the Declaration of Independence from the Museum’s collection, add issues you advocate for to a display case in the exhibition, and explore the civic actions of Americans over time that continue to build on the foundation of American freedom.
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Hot Dog Trivia
Test your knowledge about one of the city’s most recognizable foods―the Chicago hot dog! Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.
12:00–3:00 p.m.
Activities Throughout the Museum
10 Questions for Civic Love: Read and Respond
Inspired by the National Public Housing Museum’s 36 Questions for Civic Love, our 10 Questions activity offers visitors the opportunity to respond to a civics-themed questions and show support for responses from others.
Printmaking with Purpose
Sit in on a printmaking session with CHM staff and make your own to take home!
Button Making
Buttons are a stylish way to show your support for topics of interest! Design your own civics-focused buttons to wear home. This activity is inspired by our newest exhibition Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s.
Guided Exhibition Tour
Come along for a facilitator-led tour of Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s! Get a focused look at important Chicago examples of activist art.
Civic Superheroes at CHM
Go on a self-guided exploration of CHM’s galleries to locate and learn more about Chicago’s past civic superheroes. A digital geolocational map accompanies this activity. Pick up your guide at the Ticketing Desk!
Face Painting
Wearable art is a great way to show your support for the things that matter to you! Have a seat and let face painters from Party Picassos and Face Painting by Valery create a unique design just for you.
12:00–2:00 p.m.
Poems While You Wait
Come get your own, unique poem typed in 10–15 minutes typed by a professional poet on a typewriter right in before your eyes! All poems are free and can be of any topic, especially those related to civic engagement, US history, and justice for all.
Poems While You Wait supports Rose Metal Press, a 501(c)3 nonprofit independent publisher of literary hybrid genres specializing in flash fiction and nonfiction, prose poetry, novels-in-verse or book-length linked poems, and more!
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Musical Performance: Civic Soundstage
ChiArts Performance joins us for an hour of civics-inspired music. Come listen to the music that gets us pumped to go out and change the world for the better!
3:00–4:00 p.m.
Chicago in Action – Toward an Equitable Future: Youth Empowerment and Democracy
Mikva Challenge CEO Verneé Green joins us for a conversation about ways to encourage our city’s young folks to become more engaged in their communities and to continue the ongoing work of ensuring democracy, like Chicago’s youth, has a bright and promising future.