“Let the academics moan, but history should be taught on the streets, not just in the classroom… it's a more visceral and intimate experience.”
            – Rick Kogan

The responsibility of recording Chicago at the turn of the millennium was massive and resulted in the preservation of Chicagoans' joyful, angry, and quiet moments. The photographers for CITY2000 had the burden of not only being knowledge keepers but also being truth-tellers. By moving through neighborhoods, creating intimate connections with Chicagoans, and spending time on the streets, the photographers and videographers produced familiar and honest depictions of life in 2000 by seeking out and building connections with others, allowing them to photograph what the rest of us are not privy to. Each artist had a specific field of interest or perspective that influenced their work as they recorded these histories, and the culmination of their art styles is one of the unique strengths of this collection. 

Life in the new millennium was unique – there was a feeling of the unknown, beginning with the Y2K scare. Many were nervous about what a new millennium would bring. A year later, the 9/11 attacks occurred, underlining how fleeting documenting history can be and how quickly it can change.

This project was intended as a time capsule for future Chicagoans. In some ways, life today is similar to how it was in 2000, but in other ways, it will never be the same. CITY2000 memorializes these similarities and differences, revealing the beauty in our everyday lives. Its expansive nature reads like a family photo album of the city – each frame in the collection is informed by the one beside it.  

CITY2000 is a love poem for Chicago.
It proves that just by living out our day-to-day lives, we enrich the culture of our city.