South Side Community Art Center facts for kids
South Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville, Chicago, IL
|
|
| Established | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Location | 3831 South Michigan Avenue |
The South Side Community Art Center is a special art place in Chicago. It first opened its doors in 1940. This center received help from a government program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a program that helped people find jobs and create projects during a difficult time in history.
Located in an old mansion in an area of Chicago called Bronzeville, it became the first art museum in the United States focused on Black artists. It has been a very important place for many African American artists in Chicago. Out of more than 100 similar art centers started by the WPA, this one is the only one still open today.
The center was recognized as a special Chicago Landmark in 1994. In 2017, the National Trust for Historic Preservation called it a "National Treasure." It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
How the Art Center Started
People started working to open a community art center on Chicago's South Side in 1938. Peter Pollack, who worked for the Federal Art Project (part of the WPA), talked to Metz Lochard. Lochard was an editor at the Chicago Defender newspaper. They wanted to help Black artists show their work, as it was often hard for them to find places to display it.
Pollack, who was an art dealer, had already shown art by Black artists in his own gallery. Lochard then set up a meeting between Pollack and Pauline Kigh Reed. Reed was a social worker who knew many people in the community. She suggested the idea of creating an art center.
Reed helped arrange the first meeting with local artists. This meeting took place at the South Side Settlement House. Golden Darby, a businessman, became the head of the committee planning the new art center.
The first official meeting of the Sponsoring Committee happened on October 25, 1938. Many artists from a group called the Arts Crafts Guild were there. This group included famous artists like Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, Eldzier Cortor, Charles White, and Archibald Motley.
George G. Thorpe, who led the Federal Art Project in Illinois, told the group about the WPA's plan. The WPA would provide staff, teachers, and money to fix up a building. But the community needed to raise money to buy the building itself and pay for things like electricity and art supplies.
The next year was spent raising money for the center. People held membership drives and collected donations on street corners. Margaret Burroughs even did a "Mile of Dimes" event. There were also parties and talks by speakers like Augusta Savage. The most successful event was the Artists' and Models' Ball. This party became a yearly tradition.
Many famous artists studied or worked at the center. These include Charles White, Gordon Parks, Archibald Motley, and Margaret Burroughs.
The Building's Story
The building at 3831 South Michigan Avenue was finished in 1893. It was designed in the Georgian Revival style by architect L. Gustav Hallberg. It was first a home for a grain merchant named George A. Seaverns Jr.
In 1940, the building was empty. It was chosen to be the new art center. The community raised about $8,000 to buy it. The building is sometimes called the Comiskey Mansion. Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady, even said it was Charles Comiskey's old home. However, records show Comiskey's house was actually further south on Michigan Avenue.
The community paid for the building, utilities, and art supplies. The federal government, through the Federal Art Project, helped a lot. They gave money for staff, teachers, and for remodeling the inside of the building. The inside was redesigned in a modern style by Hin Bredendieck and Nathan Lerner.
The center unofficially opened for its first classes on December 15, 1940. An art show with paintings by local Black artists also opened. These artists included Charles Davis, Charles White, Eldzier Cortor, and Archibald Motley.
The teachers at the center were from different backgrounds. They taught many subjects for free. These included oil painting, drawing, sculpture, and even rug-making. By March 1941, 13,500 people had visited the center for classes, shows, and events.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt officially opened the center on May 7, 1941. Her speech was even broadcast across the country on CBS Radio.
Special Recognition
The South Side Community Art Center was named a Chicago Landmark on June 16, 1994. In 2017, the National Trust for Historic Preservation called it a "National Treasure." The building was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
