This month’s Culture Coast Member meeting will take place at the South Side Community Art Center, where in addition to networking with other members and discussing new and upcoming projects and events, you will also have the opportunity to experience one of the most historic and culturally rich arts organizations on the South Side.
Originally opened in 1940, the South Side Community Art Center is the oldest African American Art Center in the United States. It emerged onto the art scene with a splash, showing the works of local artists Henry Avery, Charles White, and William McBride, as well as a list of several other renowned painters and sculptors. Legendary first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, dedicated the space in a 1941 a ceremony that attracted the likes of actress Ethel waters and Harlem Renaissance leader Alain Locke. Despite ups and downs during World War II and the 1950s, the center thrived in the 1960s, serving as a hub for community artists. Throughout the last few decades, the Center has acquired an invaluable collection of works by African-American artists.
Today, the art center continues its legacy of showcasing emerging and established artists with curated gallery exhibitions, while also providing arts education programs that support budding arts enthusiasts of all ages. Learn more about the space and its various resources and exhibitions during the member meeting on March 27 from 3:00-5:00 pm. Please make sure to RSVP at info@culturecoastnetwork.com. South Side Community Art Center address: (3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60653).
The mission of the Culture Coast Network is to promote and position Chicago’s South Side as a premier cultural destination, support audience building efforts of organizational members, and serve as a catalyst and collective for city-wide cultural programming and destination marketing partnerships.