Brandon Breaux and Rebuild Foundation Unveil 28 Days of Greatness Project

Chicago-based artist Brandon Breaux and Rebuild Foundation unveiled the "28 Days of Greatness" project, a campaign created by Breaux featuring 28 digital portraits of Black, often underrecognized, creatives for each day in February. Beginning February 1, the first day of Black History Month, Breaux and Rebuild Foundation will unveil the portrait of an unsung Black hero across their social media platforms. Physical manifestations of the portraits will also be posted outside Rebuild Foundation's Stony Island Arts Bank towards the end of February, making the portraits and campaign available to local Greater Grand Crossing residents and guests.

The digital portraits will honor and uplift Black individuals presently making history in their communities, rather than focusing solely on figures of the past. The portraits will feature individuals who embody Black excellence such as Norman Teague, Cleo Wade, Roy Kinsey, Amanda Williams, and Deray and Eric Williams. On Instagram, the caption will be used to tell their complex, impactful stories. To further celebrate these figures and creatives, Rebuild and Brandon Breaux will be hosting weekly conversations on Clubhouse.

"Demonstrating the impact of ambitious creative initiatives and amplifying the work of Black artists is a key component of Rebuild Foundation's mission," said Theaster Gates, artist and Founder and Executive Director of Rebuild Foundation. "We are incredibly proud to partner with Brandon to bring his vision to life and celebrate the Black excellence in our communities. These are the history makers from our present and for our future."

Founded in 2010 by artist and social innovator Theaster Gates, Rebuild Foundation is a platform for art, cultural development, and neighborhood transformation. Rebuild's projects support artists and strengthen communities by providing free arts programming and creating new cultural amenities. Although Rebuild's sites have been closed for public programming due to COVID-19, a pandemic that has impacted Black communities at a disproportionate rate, Rebuild has partnered with organizations and artists committed to providing assistance and relief to the residents of Greater Grand Crossing.

"The impact of my daily meditation series last year and the desire to experiment and develop my portraiture publicly gave me the idea of doing 28 Day of Greatness," said Brandon Breaux, the artist behind the project. "The main goal is to emphasize the importance of letting people know they're loved. Many of us have just gone through almost a year or more apart and it's still important that we lift one another up through sharing our love and beautiful gifts with the people in our lives in this moment."

For more information about Rebuild Foundation, visit rebuild-foundation.org. For more information about Brandon Breaux, the project and his practice, visit brandonbreaux.com.

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