Theaster Gates
Keynote Speaker: Artist, Urbanist, Professor, Director of Arts and Public Life at the University of Chicago; Founder & President of Rebuild Foundation
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Theaster Gates Biography
Theaster Gates is an American artist, urbanist, and professor whose work spans social practice, performance, institution-building, painting, and sculpture. Gates has developed a career at the intersection of contemporary art, community development, and cultural preservation. He began working with clay at Iowa State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science, before studying pottery in Tokoname, Japan. He later received a Master of Arts in fine arts and religious studies from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a Master of Arts in urban planning from Iowa State. These diverse disciplines inform a practice focused on both rebuilding communities and creating art.
Gates’s art responds to disinvestment in African American urban communities, particularly following the 2008 financial crisis. His work addresses the significance of formal archives in preserving Black cultural forms and challenges established artistic canons, including post-painterly abstraction and color field painting. Gates creates sculptures using clay, tar, and repurposed building materials, transforming elements from urban neighborhoods into new works. The proceeds from these sculptures often support the rehabilitation of city blocks, linking fine art with urban renewal.
One of Gates’s most recognized urban initiatives, the "Dorchester Projects," has transformed a distressed neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, converting nearly 40 abandoned buildings into an arts hub and community destination.
Gates’s nonprofit, Rebuild Foundation, manages projects in Chicago such as the Stony Island Arts Bank, Black Cinema House, Dorchester Art and Housing Collaborative, Archive House, and Listening House, while also supporting initiatives across the Midwest. The Stony Island Arts Bank houses the book collection of John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony and Jet magazines; the record collection of Frankie Knuckles, a pioneer of house music; and slides from the collections of the University of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago. Many of Gates’s works reflect his African American identity and the broader struggle for civil rights, incorporating materials like fire hoses and organizing events centered on soul food and choral performances by the Black Monks of Mississippi, an experimental musical ensemble he leads.
Gates has exhibited internationally, including at the Whitney Biennial in New York and the Venice Biennale. He designed the Serpentine Pavilion for Serpentine Galleries, and the New Museum in New York presented a major midcareer survey titled "Theaster Gates: Young Lords and Their Traces," highlighting his influences from family to writers and artists such as bell hooks and Sam Gilliam. The Smart Museum of Art presented "Theaster Gates: Unto Thee," an exhibition that placed his work within a traditional museum context. His art is included in the collections of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Tate in London, among others.
Gates has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the World Cultural Council Award, the Isamu Noguchi Award, the Friedrich Kiesler Prize for Architecture and Art, the Royal Institute of British Architects honor, the World Economic Forum Crystal Award, the J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, the Nasher Sculpture Prize, the Sprengel Museum Kurt Schwitters Prize, and the Artes Mundi 6 prize. He has also been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and was named a medalist in the Established Artists category at the Art Basel Awards. Gates serves as a professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Visual Arts and the College, as well as Senior Advisor for Cultural Innovation and Advisor to the Dean. His work demonstrates a commitment to the idea that culture is a powerful tool for transforming communities and restoring dignity to overlooked places and people.
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Theaster Gates Videos
How do I book Theaster Gates to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Theaster Gates for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Theaster Gates, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Theaster Gates or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Theaster Gates for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Theaster Gates, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Theaster Gates are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Theaster Gates, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Theaster Gates speak about?
Theaster Gates is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Innovation, Business, Creativity, TED and Leadership.
Where does Theaster Gates travel from?
Theaster Gates generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Theaster Gates?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Theaster Gates for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805, and one of our agents will assist you to book Theaster Gates for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Theaster Gates or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Theaster Gates is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Innovation, Business and Creativity. The estimated speaking fee range to book Theaster Gates for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Theaster Gates generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Natalie Nixon, Tiffany Shlain and Jimmy Wales. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Theaster Gates for an upcoming event.
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Theaster Gates Videos
REVIEWS
Theaster Gates Reviews
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UCSB Arts & Lectures - May 05 2021
NEWS
Theaster Gates News
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Prada announces artist and activist, Theaster Gates, and film director and producer Ava Duvernay, will co-chair the Prada Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council
“We will help ensure that the fashion world is reflective of the world in which we live,” says Miuccia Prada.
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Could Theaster Gates have a role to play at 50 shuttered CPS ...
Could Theaster Gates' next grand project be tackling the 50 vacant and in many cases beautiful school buildings closed by the city three years ago?
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Theaster Gates Wants to Turn Former Chicago Police Station Into Art ...
Chicago artist Theaster Gates has revealed plans to establish an arts center in a disused police station on the city's South Side. The police station was shuttered ...
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Artist Theaster Gates on 'Brilliant Ideas' - Bloomberg
Born in Chicago in 1973, Theaster Gates is a visual artist, social activist, urban planner, musical performer and Professor of Visual Art at the University of ...
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Chicago artist Theaster Gates plans performance series in D.C. ...
For his latest art project, Theaster Gates is bringing together music, museums and collegiate athletics.
FAQS
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How do I book Theaster Gates to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Theaster Gates for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Theaster Gates, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Theaster Gates or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Theaster Gates for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Theaster Gates, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Theaster Gates are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Theaster Gates, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Theaster Gates speak about?
Theaster Gates is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Innovation, Business, Creativity, TED and Leadership. -
Where does Theaster Gates travel from?
Theaster Gates generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Theaster Gates?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Theaster Gates for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.855.383.8805, and one of our agents will assist you to book Theaster Gates for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Theaster Gates or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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