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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Jon Veal
4of Chicago, who passed away on December 21, 2022; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Jon Veal was a transdisciplinary artist focused
6on the capacity of symbolic gesture as a strategy, using his
7artistic agency as a platform for building communal spaces;
8his artwork was exhibited at the Chicago Artist Department,
9Silent Funny, the William Hill Gallery, the Homewood Science
10Center, the Chicago Cultural Ball, the Kiss the Brain Gallery,
11the Catich Gallery at St. Ambrose University, and the Terrain
12Biennial representing Austin, Chicago; he was the first
13African American artist in Residence at Oak Park Public
14Library and held the Field/Work Artist in Residence position
15at Chicago Artist Coalition in 2019; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 2019, Jon Veal and Jordan Campbell co-founded
17alt_Chicago, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, artist-led organization
18that aims to transform the communities of Chicago through art;
19their organization became known for its free community markets
20on the West and South sides and their flagship venture Project
21Stamp, a campaign to document the lives of West Siders through
22portraits taken in neighborhood spaces; at the time of his
23passing, alt_Chicago had collected $350,000 over the past year

 

 

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1to hire staff, realize projects, and eventually find a
2permanent studio on the West Side; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Through alt_Chicago, Jon Veal received numerous
4honors, grants, fellowships, and opportunities to serve the
5City of Chicago through several programs, including Project
6Stamp, alt_ Market, alt_ b.i.n., Redemptive Plastics, and alt_
7Academy; in 2020, he was a recipient of 3Arts' Make A Wave
8grant and the Chicago Artist Coalition's Spark grant, which
9recognizes exceptional artists working in Chicago; in 2021, he
10was invited to join the Resource Global Chicago Cohort in
11addition to being named the 2021 Spring Latham Fellow at the
12IIT Institute of Design; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Jon Veal served on the auxiliary Board of
14Directors for the Design Museum of Chicago and on the Chicago
15Avenue Corridor Improvement Study Team in partnership with the
16Lamar Johnson Collaborative and the Chicago Department of
17Transportation; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Jon Veal was known for his ability to converse
19with strangers and quickly become friends; he will be
20remembered for his work and his commitment to bringing art and
21opportunity to the West Side; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Jon Veal is survived by his fiancée, Brittney

 

 

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1Carolina; his mother, Karen Veal; his father, Joseph Veal; and
2his sister, Cartier Veal; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we mourn the passing of Jon Veal and extend our sincere
6condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
7him; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Jon Veal as an expression of our
10deepest sympathy.