South Side Community Art Center facts for kids
South Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville, Chicago, IL
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| Established | 1940 |
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| Location | 3831 South Michigan Avenue |
The South Side Community Art Center is a special place in Chicago. It opened in 1940 to help artists. It got help from a government program called the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project.
This art center is located in a neighborhood called Bronzeville. It was built in an old mansion from 1893. It became the first art museum in the United States created for Black artists. It has been a very important place for many African American artists in Chicago.
The Federal Art Project created over 100 community art centers. But the South Side Community Art Center is the only one still open today! It was named a "Chicago Landmark" in 1994. In 2017, it was called a "National Treasure." It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
How the Art Center Started
People started trying to open an art center on Chicago's South Side in 1938. Peter Pollack, who worked for the Federal Art Project, talked to Metz Lochard. Lochard was an editor at the Chicago Defender newspaper. They wanted to help Black artists show their work. These artists often found it hard to find places to display their art.
Pollack was an art dealer. He had shown art by Black artists before. 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 starting an art center.
Reed helped arrange a first meeting for artists in the area. This meeting happened at the South Side Settlement House. Golden Darby, a businessman, became the head of the committee. This committee was planning the new art center.
The first official meeting of the Sponsoring Committee was on October 25, 1938. It included Darby, Pollack, and other organizers. Artists from the Arts Crafts Guild also joined. This group included famous artists like Margaret Taylor-Burroughs and Charles White.
George G. Thorpe, from the Federal Art Project, told them how the government could help. The FAP would provide staff, teachers, and money to fix up a building. But the community had to raise money to buy the building. They also had to pay for things like electricity and art supplies.
The next year was spent raising money. People held membership drives and collected money 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. It became a yearly tradition.
Many famous artists got their start or worked here. These include Charles White, Gordon Parks, Archibald Motley, and Margaret Burroughs.
The Building's Story
The building is located at 3831 S. Michigan Avenue. It was finished in 1893. It was designed in the Georgian Revival style. A grain merchant named George A. Seaverns Jr. first lived there.
In 1940, the building was empty. It was chosen to be the new art center. The community raised about $8,000 to buy it.
Some people called it the Comiskey Mansion. Eleanor Roosevelt even said it was the former home of Charles Comiskey. But other records show Comiskey's house was further south.
The community paid for the building, utilities, and art supplies. The government's Federal Art Project helped a lot too. They gave money for staff, teachers, and to remodel the building. The inside was updated in a modern style.
The center unofficially opened for classes on December 15, 1940. It also had its first art show. It featured paintings by local Black artists. These included Charles Davis, Charles White, and Archibald Motley Jr.
The teachers were from different backgrounds. They taught many subjects for free. These included painting, drawing, sculpture, and weaving. By March 1941, over 13,500 people had visited the center.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt officially opened the center on May 7, 1941. Her speech was even broadcast on national radio!
Becoming a Landmark
The South Side Community Art Center was named a Chicago Landmark on June 16, 1994. This means it's a very important building in the city.
In 2017, the National Trust for Historic Preservation called it a "National Treasure." This shows how special it is for the whole country. In 2018, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
