Introductory Wall Text and Audio Description

Applied to the wall is black vinyl text. Above three columns of text is a heading. The heading reads: Don’t mind if I do, in large bold and italic letters, then September 23- December 13, 2024, in small letters underneath. To the right of that, it reads organized by Finnegan Sahnnon and Lauren Leving

The column on the left reads:

Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo

Pelenakeke Brown

Sky Cubabub

Emilie L. Gossiaux

Felicia Griffin

Ariella Granados

Joseila Rebekah Hughes

Jeff Kasper

Finnegan Shannon

Sandie Yi

agustine zegers

The middle column reads:

Finnegan Shannon is a creator of loopholes. Their work is mischievous, methodically chipping away at traditional museum practices. By framing institutional change as artwork, the pace of possibility quickens. With Shannon at the helm, Don’t mind if I do is an experiment in more deeply collaborative exhibition-making, demonstrating how even temporary changes in power structures create pathways of access for visitors, artists, and staff.

Grounded in a longtime fantasy of the artist’s – an idea of an exhibition setup that would lavishly meet their access needs – this project developed around a conveyor belt. Embraced for its efficiency and mechanized transport of goods (even sushi), this equipment is reappropriated here as a vehicle for cultivating a more relaxed museum-going experience. The conveyor belt brings artwork to audience members, who are invited to sit on comfortable furniture and engage with a parade of objects through any combination of touch, sight, and sound.

Sharing the work of seven artists who have influenced Shannon’s practice, Don’t mind if I do blurs boundaries between public and private. It puts representations of everyday life that are usually tucked away at home on display. Plastic pill bottles scattered across nightstands share space with a tissue box cover that reminds us of moments of sickness and sadness. Sculptural snapshots of

The right column reads:

an intimate interspecies bond sit beside gender-affirming packers that feel most at home tucked inside our clothes. They signify illness, reveal systems of support, and are used in play.

Don’t mind if I do destabilizes rigid ableist and exclusionary museum “best practices” like sparse seating, untouchable objects, dense wall labels, and guards who protect rather than invite engagement. It is a project built upon a framework of flexibility. By welcoming glitches, inviting informality and messiness, and unsettling the hierarchy of objects, Don’t mind if I do prioritizes people over artwork and makes more room for us to show up as our full selves.

Support for Don’t mind if I do is provided by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, the School of Art & Art History, the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts, and the University of Illinois Chicago.

Don’t mind if I do originated at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (July 7, 2023–January 7, 2024) with generous support provided by the Ford Foundation. Additional touring venues include: University Library at California State University, Sacramento (September 10–November 27, 2024) and the Smith College Museum of Art (January 30–June 28, 2026).

To the right, a letter from Finnegan Shannon reads:

Welcome to my access fantasy !!

I’m disabled and I need to sit and I love to sit. I’ve been dreaming about an exhibition where instead of having to move from artwork to artwork, I could sit somewhere comfortable and have the artwork come to me. So voilà! Here, we have a conveyor belt of artworks surrounded by a variety of seating options.

When planning this project, a big question was: what artwork should the conveyor carry? The artists, writers, and thinkers featured here nourish my life and practice, and I can’t resist a chance to share their work. Each of the objects presented asks for varied ways of interacting and opens up possibilities for how and what an artwork can convey.

I invite you to find a spot to your liking. From there, you have options for how you might experience the work. Choose one or a combo:

• Watch as a parade of objects moves by you.

• Pick something up and spend some time with it. Touching things is very much encouraged (though of course, touch with tenderness).

• Listen to audio descriptions available at stations around the conveyor belt or via gallery400.uic.edu/dmiidaccess (the transcript is there too).

Don’t mind if I do,

Finnegan Shannon

Don’t mind if I do

This project is titled Don’t mind if I do. This iteration of the project features artists Finnegan Shannon, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Felicia Griffin, Sky Cubacub, Jeff Kasper, Emilie Gossiaux, Joselia Rebekah Hughes, Pelenakeke Brown, Sandie Yi, augustine zegers, and Ariella Granados.

Welcome to my access fantasy. I’m disabled and I need to sit, and I love to sit. I’ve been dreaming about an exhibition where instead of having to move from artwork to artwork, I could sit somewhere comfortable and have the artwork come to me. So, voila! Here, we have a conveyor belt of artworks surrounded by a variety of seating options. When planning this project, a big question was, “what artwork should the conveyor carry?” The artists, writers, and thinkers featured here nourish my life and my practice, and I can’t resist a chance to share their work. Each of the objects presented ask for varied ways of interacting and opens up possibilities for how and what an artwork can convey. I invite you to find a spot to your liking. From there, you have options for how you might experience the work. Choose one or a combo. You can watch as a parade of objects moves by you, you can pick something up and spend time with it. Touching things is very much encouraged, though of course, touch with tenderness. Or listen to audio description.

This audio is available in the space via QR code on the large wall text for Don’t mind if I do, and on the IPad found on the conveyor belt. It’s also available online with a full transcript on the Gallery 400 accessibility page at gallery400.uic.edu/dmiidaccess

This is Finnegan Shannon, and a lot of the artwork that I contribute to this project are elements of the overall space. The most important element is a work titled My Access Fantasy, from this year, it’s a conveyor belt from the company 888 brands limited, modified by myself and Peter Reese. This is a 25 foot conveyor belt, it’s kind of like a long banquet table, it’s installed at a little tilt, and it moves all of the smaller objects in a continuous counter-clockwise loop through the space. It has a bright blue edge, I got to pick that color, and each object rests on a little tray that’s covered in felt, so each has a little station that it moves around on. Surrounding the conveyor belt is a bunch of furniture. This work is titled Variety / Comfort / Variety of Comforts.

All of the furniture in the show was thrifted in the Chicago area, and pulled from UIC Gallery 400 and university surplus. There is a variety of materials, we have wood chairs, leather chairs, acrylic chairs, metal chairs, and all different patterns and textures, some ornately carved, some clear, some grey, and some brightly patterned. The chairs are also at varying distances from the conveyor, some are much closer, kind of like a dining room table, and some, like the couch, are lower and farther back.

Additionally, around the gallery we have a few furnished areas that are available to sit, sulk, slouch, gather, and share space in. In a far corner of the largest room here, there’s a pretty large maroon and dusty orange rug with wavy lines on it. On the edge of this and against a wall there’s a white bookshelf which houses some literature on access, disability justice, Crip feminism, and more. There’s a large grey couch with some bright pillows and blankets. A large, bright yellow chair is next to this couch with a deep purple cushion. Also in this space, there’s a plush soft cube that has a pom-pom like surface with a thick and coarse yarn. And a little children’s school desk and chair that’s barely three feet off the ground at its height.

Another spot that’s available to sit with is closer to the conveyor belt. There’s a low, wooden, dark stained oval coffee table. On three sides of the table are more chairs, a black one that’s low and quite stretchy, a grey one that’s leather upholstered with hard arms, and a sanded and stained wooden one with a bright marigold cushion. On the table is a large tray similar to the ones on the conveyor belt with some magazines, zines, and shorter books littered around this area.

And then there’s also a series of work that I made specifically to kind-of support the experience of the show. So, one is called Warmth for Don’t mind if I do, from 2023. And these are two throw quilts that I made. They’re simple, nine square quilts, with a little embroidered conveyor belt icon in the center. They’re hand tied quilts. And those are things that people can use to stay warm in the space, museums are notoriously cold.

There’s also Air for Don’t mind if I do, also from 2023. There are three of these in the space. They’re Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, which is a type of DIY air purifier that’s basically three air purifiers, or three air filters, duct taped into a box with cardboard on the bottom and a box fan on the top, and it sucks air through the air filters and then up out the top of the box, bringing cleaner air into the space. And, I had a little fun with the colors on these—all the duct tape is lime green and the box fans are a nice bright blue.

Another artwork in the space is called Softness for Don’t mind if I do, also from 2023. It’s a series of 13 pillows and cushions, sewn by Daria Hannah Alton. About half are purple and half are yellow. And these sit, kind of scattered over different furniture pieces. Some are really fitted to the shapes of certain chair seats, and some are more like throw pillows. And they all have some custom machine embroidery on them, that’s a circle of dots with arrows between, which is a little icon I made in reference to the kind of motion of the conveyor belt.

Also in the space is a work called Slow Spin, from 2023. And there are a series of seven clocks but unlike a typical clock that shows the hour and the minutes, these only show the day of the week. So the clock hand moves extremely slowly, and makes a full rotation every seven days, and points to the current day. Each of them starts with a different day in the first position. So, the angle of the hands of all of the clocks are at different angles throughout the space, but they all point to the current day.

What you’re listening to right now is also an artwork, it’s called Description for don’t mind if I do. This description was made in 2023 and updated in 2025. It’s available in the space, via QR code next to the large intro text for Don’t mind if I do, and on the accessibility page on Gallery 400’s website at gallery400.uic.edu/dmiidaccess

There’s also a work called Work Info for Don’t mind if I do, that’s a zine that I made with Tom Poole that lists all of the art info with little drawings showing each of the artworks. There aren’t wall labels in the space, so this kind of the way that works in parallel to the audio description in terms of being a way to identify which artworks are by which artist.

This work is by Emilie Louise Gossiaux, titled Dog Paw on Foot from 2023, and it’s a 3D print made of plastic. There’s a little dog paw resting on a representation of a human foot. You can feel the toes, you can feel the little dog claws. And they’re stacked almost like they’re kind-of… it reminds me of sometimes when a dog tries to get your attention or steps on your foot. Or almost like they’re holding hands.

Felicia Griffin, titled Pom Pom, material is yarn, and here, courtesy is of the artist and NiAD Art Center. Felicia’s pom poms are soft and fluffy and asymmetrical. They use a variety of materials so some are woolier, some parts are stringy-er, sometimes there will be one really long string. And they’re big, they’re maybe the size of cabbage or a dinner plate.

This work is by Lukaza Bramfman Verissimo. Titled To Fly as a Collective We: Enrooted Ritual. From 2023. Cardboard and acrylic paint. This is a cut out winged shape, it reminds me of a butterfly, loosely. First it was painted black, and then the text emerges from the negative space. It spans the wings of the shape. It’s very hand lettered, so there’s some looseness to the letter shapes and they become thinner at points or thicker. One side reads, “enrooted ritual.” The other side–again, filling up the shape–is text that reads, “to fly as a collective we.” And the words get broken up, for example with “as,” there’s an A on one wing tip and an S on the opposite, below it.

This artwork is by Jeff Kasper. It’s titled Wrestling Embrace from 2023. It’s a series of 40 playing cards featuring contemplative and interactive prompts for pairs. It’s an open edition. I’m holding a black box, the front says “Are you […] Wrestling Embrace Relationship Exercises by Jeff Kasper.” The back of the box has instructions, it reads “find a partner, draw 3 cards per person, don’t share your cards unless otherwise noted, read the top of the card to establish a distance, get comfortable, use verbal language if you must, set a timer if you wish, negotiate consent, perform or contemplate the card, if you draw a blank; improvise, stop at any time, always prioritize respect, please return the cards when finished” There’s a little icon of a knot and below it reads, “these exercises encourage physical touch, guided contemplation, and interpersonal communication. If you are not in the body/mind/space to relinquish personal boundaries, this might not be for you.” When I open the box, there’s a small instructional booklet. It repeats some of the information on the exterior of the box, and also says, “talk about your intentions with your partner, you don’t necessarily have to tell them exactly what you’re planning at all times. Sometimes surprises are fun. Though you don’t want to do anything your partner hates either. Pay attention and slow down. Don’t rush into things you haven’t tried yet. Establish a safe-word or a code-word that means “stop, really, I mean it.” If you are playing non verbally, establish another way to say “enough.” One common solution is to ring a bell. Be a calming agent. Regardless of whether you seek to resolve conflict with your partner, or you are dealing with your own conflict, your response can escalate or decrease the intensity of the problem. To be calming, provide an objective or neutral point of view. Encourage the formation of an actionable plan of how you are going to work with your partner to achieve a resolution. We also have a bio for Jeff. He’s an artist, designer, facilitator, and educator living in Western Massachusetts. His work inspires cultures of trauma informed support, and circulates resources through publications, media, and conceptual social spaces. @JeffKasperStudio

I’ve drawn 3 cards. The back of the first has a simple looped knot, the card reads “hold a distance, no more than 3 feet. Take on the role of an interrogator, attempt to extract information from your partner. Be persuasive without causing harm, use words only if you must. Note: this kind of scenario can be psychologically triggering for some people. Therefore it’s very important that each person be alert; not only to the physical safety but also to the emotional state of each partner. It’s vital that you be alert to any sudden or unwanted panic or emotional reactions, and that you be ready to end if it should occur. Establish a safeword before you begin. Either person can use this word to end the scene.” We recommend the safeword: trust.

The second card has a ladder shaped knot on the back. The card reads, “keep a distance of less than one foot. Approach your partner carefully. Smile and say some caring words or compliments. Mean it. What do you notice that you admire or respect? Let them know.”

The third card has a very loopy knot on the back. It reads, “hold a distance of no more than four feet. You may choose to share this card with your partner. Start out with a pretty easy goal, and work your way up from there. Set a timer for five minutes and focus completely on your partner for that time period. If time allows then take a two minute break before going at it again for another five minutes. Repeat this action each day, add another five minutes to practice focusing, allotting an additional two or-so minutes for the break. In more than a week, you should be able to be with your partner for forty five minutes straight before you allow yourself a half hour break. Once you get comfortable you can work to lengthen your focus time a little, while shortening your break times.” The cards are also paired with a small timer, that says the length of time. I’m pretty charmed by the fact that they’re color coded, and the sand in the timer is also color coded. The one I’m holding is for five minutes, and its bright green with bright green sand.

Ringing the whole space, is a work by me, Finnegan Shannon, and Lukaza Bramfman Verissimo. It’s titled We Hold Us, it’s from 2023, and the material is a wall mural. It’s maybe about my shoulder height above the ground, so maybe four and a half or five feet off the ground. It runs along the wall all the way around the space. Each letter is cut out of this material called chip board, kind of a thin cardboard. And each letter is cut out individually. Half were cut out by Lukaza, and half cut out by me. And then, they adhered to the walls so together, they string together this poem that Lukaza wrote. They wove together some writing that I had done about the show, some phrases I had thought of related to the show, and some of their own writing. And now I’ll read the poem. “We on our way, we want to meet you, we access fantasy, we sit and enjoy, don’t mind if we do, we links in a chain, we flowing, we looping, from us to you, from you to we, we being silly and serious, we hold us.”

Emilie Gossiaux, Tongue and Paw, 2023, its a 3D print made of plastic. So, the paw is a dog paw. When I hold it, it really reminds me of when I do “shake” with a dog, it really has that feel of the dog’s paw. And then the tongue is made of a really rubbery material. It’s a tongue and lips, but it has this strange soft material. So, it has the jarring feeling of if you were to actually touch a tongue in this space. This is a work that me, Finnegan Shannon, made for the conveyor belt. It’s titled, House that I modified to be stair free, and planted lavender in the garden for us. It’s from 2023, and it’s made of a modified tissue box cover kit. It’s a tissue box cover, shaped like a house, needle-pointed. It has windows and curtains, and a little door. Sweet cat in the window, shingled roof, a little brick chimney. There are bushes and greenery in the garden, and there are tissues that come out of the chimney, almost like they’re like smoke. And the tissues are for the taking. And all of the stitches that indicate flowers, in the garden and bushes, are lavender colored.

This piece is by Emilie Louise Gossiaux, titled Red Dog Kong, from 2023. And It’s a 3D print made of plastic. This piece has a snowman shape, its three balls that are stacked on one-another and getting slightly smaller. It’s made to look and feel like a dog Kong toy, but this is based on a ceramic piece that Emilie made so it doesn’t have the feel of something that was manufactured. But it’s to-scale with that, so it kind of fits into two hands.

This work is by Jeff Kasper, titled Things Remembered [I look fabulous but I’m in a lot of pain]. It’s from 2023. Etched compact mirror in gold, open edition. This object is really shiny, it picks up the reflections of everything around it, including me. I can see myself layered with the engraved text that says, “I look fabulous but I’m in a lot of pain” and it opens with two mirrors inside, where I can again see parts of myself, and my surroundings reflected in the piece.

Sky Cubacub, Black Chainmail Packer, made of chainmail. It’s a full Persian weave, made with anodized aluminum jump rings. Courtesy of …. The packers fit in my hand, and they’re smooth and kind of these entangled chains. They feel really good, they remind me of stim toys, they make me want to move my hands over them and feel the texture of those aluminum rings, feel those surfaces.

This piece is by Lukaza Bramfman Verissimo. Titled Winged Survival from 2023, and it’s made of cardboard and acrylic paint. This is the tallest object on the conveyor belt, it jutts up and it has feathered and pointy shapes coming down the side. Kind of like a drawing of a pine-tree. And there’s handwritten text that fills the full shape. And on one side it says, “winged survival.” The words fill the whole space so the breaks are in different places, so it takes a moment to puzzle out the flow of the letters, to make out the words. And the other side says, “we hold us.”

The next few works are new to Don’t mind if I do, and are created by the artists of its related solo exhibitions here at UIC Gallery 400.

The first is a piece by Ariella Granados, it’s called Mind of its own, and it’s from 2025. The work is made from a plastic, purple hairbrush. The plastic handle part is glossy, and the front brush part has a white flexible material with rubbery white bristles that have little purple dots of hard plastic at their tips. Layers of hair are glued in rows across the back of the hairbrush, they come down to form a ponytail that’s just a little bit longer than the bottom of the handle. The hair is tied to the handle with a white satin ribbon that has a sparkly, holographic outline.

The next work is by Sandie Yi in collaboration with Sins Invalid, it’s called Kelp help, and it’s from 2021. On the conveyor belt the piece can be coiled, or folded, or crumpled into a lump of mossy green felt. When it’s fully extended, though, it’s a wavy and long ribbon that stretches to about six feet in length. The felt is cut with these peaks and valleys that meander on either side of its length, and with a deep U cut into either end of the felt ribbon, which makes these two kind-of thick lines or fingers. Every few inches, smaller pairs of two lines or fingers of felt are cut to protrude repetitively from the main form on either side.

The last work that is new to this project is by agustine zegers, it’s called plastica and it’s from 2025. The tray on the conveyor belt holds small cylindrical objects. One is a cold stone or granite cylinder with a wide hole cut into the top of it. The stone has variations and striations in color and varies between dark greys and blues. Inside its opening are a handful of long strips of thick white paper that stand up straight, even though they’re only about an inch or ¾ inch inside the stone holder. Next to this is a small glass bottle of fragrance with a clear liquid and a long silver cap. The fragrance has notes of polyvinyl chloride which is like hot plastic and inflatable toys.