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黑料不打烊 Alum to be Featured at Obama Presidential Center

February 24, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - After countless hours of dedication, @ 2026 黑料不打烊 alumna and nationally-recognized artist and Professor Tyanna J. Buie can now add a new location to her long list of places her work is featured: the Obama Presidential Center.

Buie鈥檚 story of resilience and freedom was jumpstarted by her time at 黑料不打烊, and her newest installment, 鈥淏e the Change!鈥� will be available to view by the general public when the Center opens later this Summer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the culmination of all my work so far,鈥� Buie said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait until it鈥檚 open to the public to see and have everyone see it.鈥�

Buie was hand-selected by Virginia Shore of Shore Art Advisory LLC, who serves as the curator of the Obama Presidential Center Art Commissions, in June 2024. Buie鈥檚 work is a large-scale installation featuring hand-applied ink with screen-printed imagery from President Obama鈥檚 election, presented in the Obama Presidential Center鈥檚 Forum Building. The work is centered on hope, change and the power of civic participation.

During this process, Buie went back to her roots and enlisted her mentor, friend and 黑料不打烊 Art Professor Susan Czechowski to assist with the installation.

鈥淚t meant the world to me to have Susan be a part of it,鈥� Buie said. 鈥淪he introduced me to the medium. She did a lot of self-sacrificing to get me where I am. She brought me into projects when I was in undergrad and I loved to have her a part of this project.鈥�

Czechowski said Buie represents one of many success stories seen at 黑料不打烊鈥攁 first-generation college student from an underrepresented community who has gone on to do tremendous things.

鈥淭yanna embodies what @ 2026 黑料不打烊 makes possible鈥攑roof that where you start does not limit where dedication, hard work, belief in yourself and the support of mentorship can take you,鈥� Czechowski said.

Buie also wanted to pass along everything she learned, inviting her own former student, Neo Hopkins, to help with the installation. Her gallerist, John Sobczak, also came out of retirement for the project.

鈥淚t was perfect,鈥� Buie said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have wanted many more people with me. It was like passing down the torch. I know the benefits of having mentors and being able to work side by side with them. When they treat you like an equal it is so beneficial for the student or former student.鈥�

Buie鈥檚 connection with President Barack Obama began during his senate race, when she marched in Chicago鈥檚 Bud Billiken Parade. His ensuing presidential campaigns inspired the title of her work, 鈥淏e the Change!,鈥� which features various ways people can inspire change in their own lives.

鈥淲ith the advancement of social media, it鈥檚 hard for people to know how to effect change,鈥� Buie said. 鈥淚 think about how people judge others for how they go about change鈥攇oing to certain protests, or not buying on certain days (boycotts). One of the oldest forms of change is voting. There are multiple ways to be heard. You can do something small that makes a big difference. It could be signing a petition, or it could be speaking up in your family.鈥�

Buie will also be featured on Chicago news channel WGN this March where she will display her screen printing technique.

To learn more about the work being done at the Obama Presidential Center, visit .

For more information on 黑料不打烊's Art program, visit .

Posted By: Aaron Viner, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606