2002 - Austin
Developed in Chicago's Austin neighborhood,
Austin Tourist Bureau began as a collaboration with Stockyard Institute artist and educator Davion Mathews. At the inception of this project, Mathews was a curious ten-year-old, eager to become involved with Duignan's work at the San Miguel School, where he instructed pre-service educators in college-level art education courses. Together, Duignan and Mathews explored reasons why Chicagoans rarely visit the Austin neighborhood. This reflection led to the development of guided tours of the neighborhood, taking place in a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier that Duignan purchased for just $800.
Though attendance was lacking, one Austin family participated in the tours weekly. The family's matriarch shared her personal history of the community with her children, illustrating the immeasurable value of human connection.
