Unfinished Business: 21st Century Home Economics

Canning peaches. Sewing a dress. Baking a batch of snickerdoodles. These are familiar images of Home Economics, but they do not tell the whole story of the movements' past, nor do they engage with the radical potential of its future.

The new exhibit tells the untold story of the first generation of home economists who were equal rights advocates, chemists and public health advocates, labor reformers and innovators who sought to redefine domesticity. Filled with participatory experiences and hands-on activities, the exhibit describes the home economists’ visionary work to create a world with healthy food for all, fair labor practices for domestic work, ethical consumerism, and community childcare solutions.

The Museum is partnering with activists and artists including Chicago Coalition of Household Workers, Frau Fiber, Chicago Childcare Collective, the Academy for Global Citizenship, the Center for Urban Economic Development at UIC, Street Level Youth Media, and the Collective Cleaners to create imaginative exhibition experiences and connections to Hull-House history and our contemporary moment.

This exhibition features public workshops, performances, conversations, and innovative projects for visitors to unleash their radical imaginations. While much progress has been made on the issues Jane Addams and the reformers cared about, there is still much “Unfinished Business.” The work of creating a more just society continues.