MUDD 21 - City Visions II

Obama Presidential Center, Chicago

Role of Studio and Studio Process

Barack Obama, born on 4 August 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii is the 44th President of the United States and the first African American President. He was a community organizer, civil-rights lawyer and university teacher before entering politics. He graduated with a first degree in political science from Columbia University, New York in 1983. Between 1985 and 1988, he was director of the Developing Communities Project, a faith-based community organisation on the far South Side of Chicago.

After a completing his Law degree at Harvard Law School, where he was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, Barack Obama returned to Chicago in 1991. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. In 1996, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate and in 2004 to the U.S. Senate. Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in 2008, and won re-election in 2012. He will complete his term in office in January 2017.

Policies: The main domestic policies that have distinguished his political career include: • Health care reform - introduction of a universal health care system to provide accessible, affordable health care for all; • Public Education - initiatives to increase accessibility to all levels of education for greater numbers of people with a particular focus on training for innovative/creative and technology based industries; • Civil Rights and Social Security - a long standing campaigner for civil rights, President Obama has a personal commitment to the ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps for young African American and Hispanic men and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential; • Energy - a commitment to clean energy, and energy security for the U.S.

Source: ‘Alley Ball, 1995’ – Photograph by Marc PoKempner

NARA Contributes federal funding for up to 70,000sqm.ft of floor space and for management of presidential library.

Archive Library Museum Outreach/Institutional Programs

Obama Foundation Contributes to funding of center for every sq.foot above 70,000 sq.ft. and manages the outreach / institutional programs.

The U.S. National Archives & Record Administration (NARA) is the federal government body that funds and manages the museum and archive storage (library) components of Presidential Libraries across America under the Presidential Libraries Act 1986. This Act limits the amount of floor space funded by NARA to 70,000sqft or approximately 6,500sqm. In addition, however, Presidents can incorporate outreach facilities in the overall complex provided they are funded, built and maintained by independent Foundations. Outreach aligned with the policies and programs of Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be a key element of their future public life. The combination of the NARA-supported library and museum, together with innovative outreach facilities funded by the Obama Foundation will comprise the overall Obama Presidential Center. The three components of the OPC are shown in the diagram to the right (center).

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Chicago night aerial view north

View to Chicago CBD from the South Side Source: Photograph by Anthony Souffle, The Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-obama-library-kamin-met-0211-20160210-story.html