Doorways to Destiny Transformed Chicago

In neighborhoods across Chicago, a new series of steel doorways rose this fall—quietly at first, then with a presence that drew residents out of schools, community centers, and passing sidewalks. This installation marked the opening chapter of our Remake This Town Tour, a project that brought our team—and our Cohort 2 apprentices—into the heart of the Midwest with a mission rooted in craft and community. that transported a group of Brooklyn apprentices into the heart of the Midwest with a mission rooted in craft and community.

The doors—11 in total—were built by our Cohort 2 apprentices in Brooklyn, who spent weeks welding, grinding, and shaping heavy steel into tall, upright forms. We then traveled together to Chicago, where a five-day installation unfolded across the city. The work blended fabrication, logistics, and neighborhood engagement in a way that shifted the apprentices’ role from learners to emerging makers of public art.

A Canvas Handed Back to the Community

Once anchored into place, the doors became part of the streetscape. At each site, residents stepped forward with ideas for how the structures might evolve. We built the doors to hold these layers—murals, painted symbols, welded details—each contribution adding to a living record of the neighborhood. Over time, the surfaces will shift as artists and youth groups reinterpret them.

Each door carries a practical layer as well. Visitors can scan the QR code welded to each structure and open the My CHI. My Future platform, which offers access to nearby apprenticeships, internships, and job listings. The blend of physical sculpture and digital connection creates a pathway linking creative expression with tangible opportunity for young adults.  

Work Shaped by Hands in Training

For our apprentices, the project offered a level of experience that extended far beyond the shop. They worked through the demands of fabrication, transportation, and on‑site installation, often in unfamiliar settings. They adapted their work to the needs of each location and the partners hosting the doors. The experience gave them a clear sense of what it looks like to build for public space—and to see their work claimed and celebrated by a city.

The doors now stand at:

Each site continues to shape the meaning of the project, giving the doors a life grounded in the people who encounter them every day.

Preparing for New York City

With the Chicago installations complete, we are now preparing for the next phase of the Remake This Town Tour in New York City. The coming chapter will bring new partnerships, new collaboration, and another round of large‑scale doors shaped by our apprentices. Our mission remains steady: use fabrication, creative practice, and access to open pathways for young people.

Chicago set the tone. The doors became markers of possibility, built by our young makers and carried from our shop floor to the streets—and now into the communities that hold them.

Gratitude to Our Partners

This project grew through partnership. We are deeply grateful to the organizations across Chicago who welcomed the doors into their spaces and helped bring this work to life. BUILD Chicago, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago Rolled Metal, and dozens of schools, educators, and local leaders opened their doors to us and supported every step of the installation week.

As always, we extend our thanks to ESAB, whose generous support made this work possible—from the apprentices’ training to the fabrication of the doors themselves. Their commitment to empowering the next generation of welders and metal fabricators continues to shape every milestone of the Remake This Town Tour.