Terreon Collins’ “Where the Blood Flows” is an artistic journey into the heart of Sickle Cell disease
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jonathan Kelley, Lawndale Pop-Up Spot Co-Founder
jonathanmkelley@gmail.com - 312-420-2558
The Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, a community museum in the North Lawndale neighborhood, is proud to present its current exhibition, “Where the Blood Flows,” by Terreon Collins. This immersive, multimedia art show includes paintings, sound, lights, and other art work inspired by Collins’ experiences with Sickle Cell Disease. The exhibition reimagines the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot as the S.S. Hemoglobin, a ship crossing the seas, carrying cargo of an unknown nature.
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and Collins specifically chose this month to kick off his solo installation. More than 90% of Americans with sickle cell disease are Black, and it's an issue that affects many families in North Lawndale and on the West Side of Chicago.
“It means a lot to be able to share the experiences,” said Collins. “The lifestyles, the trials and errors, the mental perspectives, and so much more. To teach these things through my crafts has been the cool part.”
Notably, North Lawndale has a key historical connection to sickle cell awareness and treatment. In the 1960s, the Black Panther Party set up a sickle cell clinic just a few blocks from the Pop-Up Spot - the first of its kind in Chicago.
“‘Where the Blood Flows’ is possibly the most personal, deeply affecting exhibition we’ve had in our seven years as a community museum,” said Jonathan Kelley, co-founder of the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. “We are honored that Terreon has agreed to partner with us for this project.”
Collins added, “As guarded as I am about the subject matter when it comes to my own experiences, I’m kinda glad that the things I do share in the exhibition have some use to individuals. Even to those who don’t have sickle cell.”
“Where the Blood Flows” will be on exhibit through October 31, 2026, at the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, 3601 W. Douglas Blvd. Hours of operation are Wednesdays through Fridays, 2:00-6:00 p.m. and Saturdays, 12:00-4:00 p.m. Additional programming in support of the exhibition will be announced soon - visit www.lawndalepopupspot.org/wherethebloodflows for updates.
About the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot
The Lawndale Pop-Up Spot (LPUS) is a community museum and gallery space. Located at Love Blooms Here Plaza in the heart of Chicago’s West Side neighborhood of North Lawndale, LPUS is a space for curation, artistic engagement, and storytelling for the whole community.
About Terreon Collins
Terreon Collins is a local North Lawndale artist who advocates for sickle cell anemia through arts and crafts. In honor of Sickle Cell Awareness Month, he decided to produce an exhibition on the subject matter. In his young career, he has participated in a lot of community projects, including the Douglass 18 miniature golf course, the North Lawndale whirligig project, Homan Square Gallery Night, Lawndale: A Living History, and the solo art exhibition "HIM" at the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. He also has acted in a number of local productions with Theatre Y.