Pullman, Chicago
Left: “The Gumball Project” by artist JB Daniel in his studio; Right: 4576 interactions
Earlier today, artist JB Daniel shared photographs of The Gumball Project returning to his studio after more than two years on view at the Pullman Foundation's Exhibit Hall. The interactive installation invites visitors to engage with the people, ideas, and conflicts surrounding the 1894 Pullman Strike through a series of modified gumball machines, each offering a different point of view.
Seeing the project come full circle prompted me to reflect on the ongoing conversation that JB and I have shared around Pullman for nearly two decades—one that has taken the form of installations, community projects, and, most recently, writing.
That conversation began in 2009, when JB invited me to participate in MOSNART, his artist-run project exploring "the constraints and opportunities of constructing installations of exceptional art in a transom above the front door of an 1880s Pullman worker's flat." My installation, Transient, transformed photographs of the Pullman factory floor into translucent prints installed like wallpaper, revealing the accumulated traces of labor, movement, and memory embedded in the site.
Five years later, I returned to Pullman for Groundwork, a public installation that grew from a community iron pour and workshop. Together, artists, residents, and local participants cast iron tiles that became part of an installation inside the historic Pullman Factory, reimagining the foundry process as a shared act of making.
Seeing The Gumball Project return to JB's studio reminded me that our conversation around Pullman has continued to evolve over the years, taking different forms while remaining rooted in the same questions about place, labor, memory, and "ideal" communities.
Working with JB over the years has been a reminder that an artistic practice extends far beyond the objects we make. I've always admired the care, generosity, and intention he brings not only to his artwork, but to his studio, his collaborations, and the community he has built through MOSNART. As I once wrote:
"Mosnart is about giving artists the gift of possibility. It's a rare opportunity to be able to daydream on a large scale and have it seriously considered. That open-mindedness has enabled me to create both a site-specific installation within the Pullman factory building and a community iron pour on the factory grounds. JB once carried a business card that simply read, 'I think we can do that.' For me, that has always captured the spirit of MOSNART—a genuine respect for artists' ideas and a willingness to help bring them to fruition."
“Help Each Other,” JB Daniel, 2020-Present. Learn More