Danielle Holtz (she/they)
Program Director, Arts Education Student Programs for Chicago Public Schools

What does design mean to you? 
Design means creating with purpose. If you want to do something well, then you must start with a design process. It’s a big, broad word that encompasses so much of the world around us! It plays a huge part in my role at Chicago Public Schools. How can we intentionally design our programming to provide equitable access to all CPS students? How do we design experiences that connect young artists to each other – to learn from one another, to be seen by and celebrated by each other?

How does DMoC support the Chicago design community?
DMoC makes all types of design visible to Chicagoans. Every exhibition is a testament to their intentionality. They also create space annually for young artists to walk into a museum and see their work displayed for the general public alongside other young artists from across the city. Every student exhibition opportunity contributes to the next generation believing in their worth as an artist. That contribution is helping build the next generation of designers. 

What is your favorite DMoC memory and/or project?
The annual All-City Visual Arts Exhibition, which celebrates young artists and brings together their families and the broader community for an opening night reception. I love that moment when a student notices that their teacher or principal has come out to support them. 

What project are you working on right now?  
We’ve just launched a new CPS exhibition for 3D works with the Art Institute of Chicago called Extra/Ordinary. Submissions close in January and we hope to see lots of CPS artists apply! You can learn more about all of our programs at cps.edu/studentprograms. 

Ashley Lukasik (she/her)
Founder, Murmur Ring
DMoC Executive Board 

What does design mean to you? 
Design is a mindset for approaching the world, to surface new possibilities amid what is ambiguous or still emerging. As a process, it is almost always made better through thoughtful consideration.

How does DMoC support the Chicago design community?
One of the best achievements of DMoC has been its collaborations throughout Chicago, partnering with creative leaders throughout our many neighborhoods to revere their contributions across mediums. The Museum has and can continue to be leveraged as an ever-evolving platform for cultural vitality. 

What is your favorite DMoC memory and/or project?
The projects and memories are too numerous to count…one of the first times I realized how much curatorial potential the museum had was back when it was still housed on an underutilized floor of the Block 37 Mall on State Street and they put on the Dan Friedman: Radical Modernist exhibition. This was about two years after the Museum opened. Essentially, they recreated Friedman’s 1980’s New York City apartment, reflecting his 12-point manifesto. I know that the team had pulled off with minimal resources, but the result was joyful, dynamic, carefully considered, and it felt like it was bringing something to Chicago’s cultural scene that we didn’t yet have. 

What project are you working on right now?
[Murmur Ring is] planning our second annual design immersion in the Sacred Valley of Peru in June, when 30 creative leaders will spend four days exploring traditional and contemporary practices in gastronomy, ceramics, weaving, farming, and reforestation. Our cohort will be inspired by ancestral models that favor the communal and reciprocal over individualism, and consider how they can create more shared value through their work. https://www.murmur-ring.com/sacred-valley-2026

Monica Ricker-Bolter (she/her)
Visual Artist
Co-Director, Center for Native Futures

What does design mean to you? 
Design means being mindful of intent and the intended audience. This goes beyond stylized visuals; it’s conceptual, physical, and interactive elements that connect communities. 

How does DMoC support the Chicago design community?
When we first applied for a DMoC grant, the process helped me understand design on a whole other level, which in turn strengthened my organization. DMoC’s multi-pronged approaches in supporting the design community showcase good-faith partnerships that advance community organizers’ ability to inspire and develop new relationships with Chicago’s broader arts and cultural workers. 

What is your favorite DMoC memory and/or project?
Flag Feast was definitely one of my favorite projects. I created a flag to commemorate the snapping turtle in the Chicago River, lovingly named “Chonkosaurus,” that served as proof of the river becoming more habitable and sustainable for our local wildlife. 

What project are you working on right now that?
I am currently collaborating with my brother and several Chicago-based artists to develop an Afro-Indigenous Futurism graphic novel focusing on Kitihawa and DuSable. Check out our IG (@turtle_island_kandj) for upcoming announcements!