fbpx
Wikipedia

South Side Community Art Center

January 01, 1970

The South Side Community Art Center is a community art center in Chicago that opened in 1940 with support from the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project in Illinois.[1] Opened in Bronzeville in an 1893 mansion, it became the first black art museum in the United States[2] and has been an important center for the development Chicago's African American artists.[1] Of more than 100 community art centers established by the WPA, this is the only one that remains open.

South Side Community Art Center
South Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville, Chicago, IL
Established1940
Location3831 South Michigan Avenue
Coordinates41°49′29″N 87°37′23″W / 41.8246°N 87.6231°W / 41.8246; -87.6231

The center was awarded Chicago Landmark status in 1994.[1] Named a "National Treasure" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[3][4]

History edit

 
Eleanor Roosevelt at the dedication of South Side Community Art Center (May 7, 1941)

Efforts to open a community art center on Chicago's South Side began in 1938. Peter Pollack, a Federal Art Project official, contacted Metz Lochard, an editor at the Chicago Defender, about having the Art Project sponsor exhibitions of African American artists, who often had trouble securing space to display their work. Pollack, an art dealer, owned a gallery on Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Loop and had previously displayed the work of African American artists. Lochard arranged a meeting between Pollack and Pauline Kigh Reed, a social worker with extensive connections in the community, and, according to Reed's recollection, she suggested founding an art center. Reed helped arrange an initial meeting with area artists at the South Side Settlement House at 32nd Street and Wabash Avenue. Businessman Golden Darby, chairman of the board of the Settlement House, became chair of the Sponsoring Committee of the proposed South Side Community Art Center.[5]

Darby chaired the first official meeting of the Sponsoring Committee on October 25, 1938 at the offices of the Chicago Urban League. In addition to Darby, Pollack, and other organizers of the Sponsoring Committee, the meeting was attended by members of the Arts Crafts Guild, a group of Chicago-based African American artists organized in 1932 which included Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, Eldzier Cortor, Bernard Goss, Charles White, William Carter, Joseph Kersey, and Archibald Motley Jr. George G. Thorpe, the State Director of the Federal Art Project of Illinois, informed the group that the FAP's community art center program would provide an administrative staff, faculty, and renovation funds for a center if the community could raise funds for the purchase of a building and the costs of utilities and supplies.

The following year was spent organizing and raising funds for the center, with efforts ranging from membership drives and street corner collections (including Margaret Burroughs's famous "Mile of Dimes" on South Parkway, (now Martin Luther King Drive) to benefit parties and lectures by speakers including Augusta Savage. The most successful of these events, the Artists' and Models' Ball held at the Savoy Ballroom on October 23, 1939, became an annual tradition.

Among its alumni are Charles White, Bernard Goss, George Neal, Eldzier Cortor, Gordon Parks, Archibald Motley, Richard Hunt[6] and Margaret Burroughs.[7]

Building edit

Completed in 1893, at 3831 S. Michigan Avenue, the Georgian Revival-style building designed by architect L. Gustav Hallberg, originally served as a residence for grain merchant George A. Seaverns Jr.[1]

In 1940, the by then vacant brownstone building was selected as the site for the planned community art center and was purchased for about $8,000[8] with funds raised by the community.[9][10][11] The building is sometimes referred to as the Comiskey Mansion,[10][12] and it was described as the former home of Charles Comiskey by Eleanor Roosevelt in her newspaper column after she took part in the dedication of the South Side Community Art Center.[13] According to UNCAP, the Uncovering New Chicago Archives Project, the house belonging to Comiskey was further south on Michigan Avenue.[8] The community paid for the lease and purchase of the building, for utilities, and for art supplies.[11] The federal government helped to stimulate the establishment of the center via support from the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project.[10] They provided administrative funds for staff and faculty and funds for the remodeling of the building.[11] The interior was remodeled in the New Bauhaus-style, and the centre opened unofficially for its first classes on December 15, 1940.[1][8][11][12] The opening was accompanied by an inaugural exhibition of paintings by local black artists including Charles Davis, Charles White, Bernard Goss, William Carter, Eldzier Cortor, Charles Sebree, Archibald Motley Jr., amongst others.[12] The interracial faculty of art instructors included Davis, White, Goss, Carter, Morris Topchevsky, Si Gordon, Max Kahn, and Todros Geller.[14] Lessons were free and included oil painting, drawing, composition, water color, sculpture, lithography, poster design, fashion illustration, interior decoration, silk screen, weaving, and hooked rug-making.[12] By March 1941, 13,500 people had attended classes, exhibitions, and events at the center.[14] First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the facility May 7, 1941, in a ceremony that broadcast nationwide[15] on CBS Radio.[8][14]

Landmark status edit

The center earned Chicago Landmark status on June 16, 1994.[1] In 2017, the center was named a "National Treasure" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[16] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Chicago Landmarks - South Side Community Art Center". City of Chicago. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  2. ^ Knupfer, p. 2.
  3. ^ Pfister, Tom. "African American Art Center In Chicago Achieves National Register Status". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  4. ^ "Weekly List 20180921 - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service)". Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  5. ^ "Mapping the Stacks".
  6. ^ Introduction by Courtney J. Martin. Text by John Yau, Jordan Carter, LeRonn Brooks. Interview by Adrienne Childs. (2022). Richard Hunt. GREGORY R. MILLER & CO. ISBN 9781941366448.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "South Side Community Art Center". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  8. ^ a b c d "Guide to the Archives of the South Side Community Art Center, 1938-2008". UNCAP. September 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  9. ^ Cohn, p. 108.
  10. ^ a b c Knupfer, p. 67.
  11. ^ a b c d "History & Archives". South Side Community Art Center. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Cohn, p. 109.
  13. ^ Roosevelt, Eleanor (May 9, 1941). "My Day". The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project. George Washington University. Retrieved 2015-11-01. The Art Center is situated in the old home of Charles Comiskey, who was once a great baseball magnate. It had become a rooming house before the South Side Community Art Center had bought it a year ago.
  14. ^ a b c Cohn, p. 110.
  15. ^ "Mrs. Roosevelt Dedicates South Side Art Center". Chicago Tribune. May 8, 1941. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  16. ^ Bowean, Lolly. "South Side Community Arts Center named National Treasure". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-11-11.

References edit

  • Cohn, Erin P. (2010-05-17). "ART FRONTS: VISUAL CULTURE AND RACE POLITICS IN THE MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY UNITED STATES". Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. Paper 156. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  • Knupfer, Anne Meis (2006). The Chicago Black Renaissance and women's activism. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07293-2.
  • Anna M. Tyler, "Planting and Maintaining a 'Perennial Garden,' Chicago's South Side Community Art Center" INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART (11:4), 1994

External links edit

  • Official site
  • Archives of the SSCAC- Smithsonian Institution
  • South Side Community Art Center Digital Collection - UChicago Library
  • South Side Community Art Center National Trust for Historic Preservation
  • South Side Community Art Center video, WTTW Chicago

January 01, 1970
south, side, community, center, community, center, chicago, that, opened, 1940, with, support, from, works, progress, administration, federal, project, illinois, opened, bronzeville, 1893, mansion, became, first, black, museum, united, states, been, important,. The South Side Community Art Center is a community art center in Chicago that opened in 1940 with support from the Works Progress Administration s Federal Art Project in Illinois 1 Opened in Bronzeville in an 1893 mansion it became the first black art museum in the United States 2 and has been an important center for the development Chicago s African American artists 1 Of more than 100 community art centers established by the WPA this is the only one that remains open South Side Community Art CenterSouth Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville Chicago ILEstablished1940Location3831 South Michigan AvenueCoordinates41 49 29 N 87 37 23 W 41 8246 N 87 6231 W 41 8246 87 6231 The center was awarded Chicago Landmark status in 1994 1 Named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 3 4 Contents 1 History 1 1 Building 1 1 1 Landmark status 2 Notes 3 References 4 External linksHistory edit nbsp Eleanor Roosevelt at the dedication of South Side Community Art Center May 7 1941 Efforts to open a community art center on Chicago s South Side began in 1938 Peter Pollack a Federal Art Project official contacted Metz Lochard an editor at the Chicago Defender about having the Art Project sponsor exhibitions of African American artists who often had trouble securing space to display their work Pollack an art dealer owned a gallery on Michigan Avenue in Chicago s Loop and had previously displayed the work of African American artists Lochard arranged a meeting between Pollack and Pauline Kigh Reed a social worker with extensive connections in the community and according to Reed s recollection she suggested founding an art center Reed helped arrange an initial meeting with area artists at the South Side Settlement House at 32nd Street and Wabash Avenue Businessman Golden Darby chairman of the board of the Settlement House became chair of the Sponsoring Committee of the proposed South Side Community Art Center 5 Darby chaired the first official meeting of the Sponsoring Committee on October 25 1938 at the offices of the Chicago Urban League In addition to Darby Pollack and other organizers of the Sponsoring Committee the meeting was attended by members of the Arts Crafts Guild a group of Chicago based African American artists organized in 1932 which included Margaret Taylor Burroughs Eldzier Cortor Bernard Goss Charles White William Carter Joseph Kersey and Archibald Motley Jr George G Thorpe the State Director of the Federal Art Project of Illinois informed the group that the FAP s community art center program would provide an administrative staff faculty and renovation funds for a center if the community could raise funds for the purchase of a building and the costs of utilities and supplies The following year was spent organizing and raising funds for the center with efforts ranging from membership drives and street corner collections including Margaret Burroughs s famous Mile of Dimes on South Parkway now Martin Luther King Drive to benefit parties and lectures by speakers including Augusta Savage The most successful of these events the Artists and Models Ball held at the Savoy Ballroom on October 23 1939 became an annual tradition Among its alumni are Charles White Bernard Goss George Neal Eldzier Cortor Gordon Parks Archibald Motley Richard Hunt 6 and Margaret Burroughs 7 Building edit Completed in 1893 at 3831 S Michigan Avenue the Georgian Revival style building designed by architect L Gustav Hallberg originally served as a residence for grain merchant George A Seaverns Jr 1 In 1940 the by then vacant brownstone building was selected as the site for the planned community art center and was purchased for about 8 000 8 with funds raised by the community 9 10 11 The building is sometimes referred to as the Comiskey Mansion 10 12 and it was described as the former home of Charles Comiskey by Eleanor Roosevelt in her newspaper column after she took part in the dedication of the South Side Community Art Center 13 According to UNCAP the Uncovering New Chicago Archives Project the house belonging to Comiskey was further south on Michigan Avenue 8 The community paid for the lease and purchase of the building for utilities and for art supplies 11 The federal government helped to stimulate the establishment of the center via support from the Works Progress Administration s Federal Art Project 10 They provided administrative funds for staff and faculty and funds for the remodeling of the building 11 The interior was remodeled in the New Bauhaus style and the centre opened unofficially for its first classes on December 15 1940 1 8 11 12 The opening was accompanied by an inaugural exhibition of paintings by local black artists including Charles Davis Charles White Bernard Goss William Carter Eldzier Cortor Charles Sebree Archibald Motley Jr amongst others 12 The interracial faculty of art instructors included Davis White Goss Carter Morris Topchevsky Si Gordon Max Kahn and Todros Geller 14 Lessons were free and included oil painting drawing composition water color sculpture lithography poster design fashion illustration interior decoration silk screen weaving and hooked rug making 12 By March 1941 13 500 people had attended classes exhibitions and events at the center 14 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the facility May 7 1941 in a ceremony that broadcast nationwide 15 on CBS Radio 8 14 Landmark status edit The center earned Chicago Landmark status on June 16 1994 1 In 2017 the center was named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation 16 The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 Notes edit a b c d e f Chicago Landmarks South Side Community Art Center City of Chicago Retrieved 25 December 2010 Knupfer p 2 Pfister Tom African American Art Center In Chicago Achieves National Register Status Forbes Retrieved 2018 09 29 Weekly List 20180921 National Register of Historic Places U S National Park Service Retrieved 2018 09 29 Mapping the Stacks Introduction by Courtney J Martin Text by John Yau Jordan Carter LeRonn Brooks Interview by Adrienne Childs 2022 Richard Hunt GREGORY R MILLER amp CO ISBN 9781941366448 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link South Side Community Art Center The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago Chicago Historical Society 2005 Retrieved 2007 10 25 a b c d Guide to the Archives of the South Side Community Art Center 1938 2008 UNCAP September 2009 Retrieved 25 December 2010 Cohn p 108 a b c Knupfer p 67 a b c d History amp Archives South Side Community Art Center Retrieved 24 April 2024 a b c d Cohn p 109 Roosevelt Eleanor May 9 1941 My Day The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project George Washington University Retrieved 2015 11 01 The Art Center is situated in the old home of Charles Comiskey who was once a great baseball magnate It had become a rooming house before the South Side Community Art Center had bought it a year ago a b c Cohn p 110 Mrs Roosevelt Dedicates South Side Art Center Chicago Tribune May 8 1941 Retrieved 2015 11 02 Bowean Lolly South Side Community Arts Center named National Treasure chicagotribune com Retrieved 2017 11 11 References editCohn Erin P 2010 05 17 ART FRONTS VISUAL CULTURE AND RACE POLITICS IN THE MID TWENTIETH CENTURY UNITED STATES Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations Paper 156 University of Pennsylvania Retrieved 25 December 2010 Knupfer Anne Meis 2006 The Chicago Black Renaissance and women s activism University of Illinois Press ISBN 978 0 252 07293 2 Anna M Tyler Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden Chicago s South Side Community Art Center INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART 11 4 1994External links editOfficial site Archives of the SSCAC Smithsonian Institution South Side Community Art Center Digital Collection UChicago Library South Side Community Art Center National Trust for Historic Preservation South Side Community Art Center video WTTW Chicago Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title South Side Community Art Center amp oldid 1222801965, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.