Chicago gallery showcases hard work and dedication of the South Shore Drill Team in new exhibit
CHICAGO (CBS) — For nearly 45 years, the South Shore Drill Team has captivated crowds and has always been seen under one spotlight.
On Thursday, CBS 2 got a sneak peek inside the Bronzeville gallery that opens Friday.
"We are inside an exhibit, an art exhibit that features South Shore Drill Team during a pandemic," said South Shore Drill Team Media and Special Events Coordinator Stella Natufe.
"I still can't believe that we're finally here, from the photos to the book to the film and now the exhibition, it's been a journey," said curator Rikki Byrd.
The exhibition at the Blanc Gallery is called DRILL, and it captures those known for gracing the streets of Chicago and beyond with their stellar performances.
The DRILL exhibition is part of the Art Design Chicago series meant to uplift emerging artists and small galleries in the city of Chicago.
Art Design Chicago works with artists and venues like the South Side Community Art Center and Hyde Park Art Center.
Photographer Lawrence Agyei was captivated by their impact when he first saw them in 2013 at the Bud Billiken Parade.
"I was like, yo, these kids are incredible, their uniforms, their routines," Ageyi said.
He started to photograph Chicago through his lens.
"I was like the drill team will be perfect because they represent Chicago in such a beautiful way," he said.
This was in 2020 when performances and practices were halted and modified due to COVID.
"COVID took a huge effect on the organization, membership was own, parents wasn't allowing their kids to come to rehearsal. So we did what we could do," said Stella Natufe, Events Coordinator for the South Shore Drill Team.
As the world re-opened, the drill team was now preparing for the 2021 Bud Billiken Parade, providing Ageyi with a task behind the lens.
"Every summer, we come down here. It's what we fight for, what we train for every summer. It's what we look forward to in a sense," said Big Guard Rifle Captain Dessoni Hardge.
For 16 years, Hardge has been seen with a rifle in hand on King Drive during the Bud Billiken Parade.
CBS 2's Darius Johnson is an alum who has marched with Hardge and has known him since he was six years old. Now, at 22, he tells Johnson how much people like him keep him grounded.
"It's been life-changing. Traveling, from going up around you all. To just grow into my own skin as a performer and be able to teach the things that I learned from you all and the people who are still currently around to the newer generation of kids. And I'm super grateful for it," he told Johnson.
Inside Blanc Gallery, he's being viewed in a different spotlight. A spotlight that feels different.
"It's breathtaking. to see it just come to life. to see it come to fruition. So just seeing someone still care, just as much as people did when we were on the streets. Seeing someone care when we were off the streets matter just as much," Hardge said.
Ageyi captured two-thousand photos during the summer of 2021 and nine were brought to life inside the Blanc Gallery. Choosing the nine photos, was a challenge, but its about the story behind the photos.
"I just had in mind of taking a shot where the rifles were up in the air and everybody just looking at them, I thought that that was going to be beautiful," he said.
All nine photos tell a different story and offer a different perspective of what people are used to.
"Those pictures mean a lot in many ways. Because we've grown a relationship with each other that's like no other. Me and Titus are like brothers, who came together through the organization. And for years, have spent like every day together since meeting each other," Hardge said. To share a passion for something, we connected through it and enjoy it as much as we do together, I wouldn't rather have anyone else by my side doing it," he said.
For members and staff of the South Shore Drill Team, this exhibit shows appreciation and so much more.
"We see you. And I think that's very important to our young people especially black children on the southside of Chicago. It's important for them to be seen for their positive work and not the negativity that we see every day on the news," Natufe said.
For Hardge, there'd be no drill team without its past, present, and future, but most of all, its supporters.
"Get to know the team. Come support them not just at the Bud Billiken Parade but whenever they perform anywhere else. Just go support," he said.
DRILL opens at the Blanc Gallery on Friday, April 5th, and will be on display until May 12.