The Friday of Labor Day weekend, a group of ten documentary artists will unveil a unique exhibition of photography and audio documentaries. The work captures the stories of Chicago-area residents who work in service industries. The exhibit includes photographs of more than a dozen workers on and off the job, and audio portraits that capture each person’s story in their own words. The exhibit includes the work of audio producers from Chicago Public Radio, and acclaimed photographers from the Chicago area. The group is presenting the project in conjunction with the Center for Working Class Studies, the Illinois Labor History Society, and Chicago Public Radio, made possible in large part by funding from the Illinois Humanities Council. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 80 percent of Americans will work in service industries by the year 2012. More than 111 million already do, which means working in a service industry is more definitive of the American experience than going to college. Please join us as we look at our world through the images and voices of Chicago-area workers. “It is about a search, too, for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cashà I was constantly astonished by the extraordinary dreams of ordinary people.” – Studs Terkel

For more information, please contact Benjamin Calhoun at (312) 948-4810 or bcalhoun@chicagopublicradio.org.