Through a Lens of Beauty & Wonderment: Notes on Collaborative Friendship | Opening Reception
2023-10-07 12:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Join us for an opening reception to celebrate and kick off our fall/winter exhibition with curator and artist Nnaemeka C. Ekwelum!

…Notes on Collaborative Friendship (First floor Burroughs Gallery) is the culmination of Nnaemeka C. Ekwelum’s doctoral research on friendship, artistic collaboration, and decolonial Black political thought. Through a series of intentional and creative partnerships between him and eight other US-based artists/scholars, this project experiments with the rigor of collaborative friendship as a creative methodology in contemporary art making and knowledge production. It also affectively explores alternative ways to represent Black Studies scholarship within and beyond academic spaces of learning.

Collaborative artist interventions in the exhibition include: Lishan AZ, Shenequa “SHENEQUA” Brooks, Stephen Hamilton, Noor Jones-Bey, Mercy Emelike, Carmen Neely, and Cordelia Rizzo.

*Co-sponsored by Northwestern University’s Department of Black Studies.

Nnaemeka (Emeka) C. Ekwelum is a transnational and multidisciplinary researcher, educator, and artist/curator from Boston, MA. He currently lives in Chicago, IL, where he is a Ph.D. candidate in Black Studies (African American Studies) at Northwestern University. Emeka’s scholarly and creative interests converge at the intersection of history, critical theory, creative expression, curatorial practice, and political education. His dissertation project–“On Artistic Collaboration & Decolonial Black Political Thought”–examines the critical role(s) of beauty, wonderment, and friendship in contemporary and craft art collaborations between and amongst Black creatives. Prior to returning to graduate school, Emeka held a professional career as an educator in his home state of Massachusetts, formally and informally working with youth and adult learners across a range of cultural contexts in the Boston/Greater Boston Area. His teaching philosophy, interpersonal values, and political commitments are a reflection of his academic training in Comparative Ethnic Studies (Columbia University, B.A.) and Arts in Education (Harvard University, Ed.M.), drawing on theories of Black feminist and political thought to interrogate ideas of power, privilege, and personhood through art and artmaking.

Adler and Adler
2024-06-08 - 2024-08-31 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Exhibiting Artist Eli Greene | Curated by Amber Nax
The South Side Community Art Center in partnership with ICI, presents “Adler & Adler”, a poignant artistic response by Chicago-based artist Eli Greene to a selection of archival images from the Adler & Adler Studio: a Black-owned photography studio in what was once the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit. Founded circa 1910 by Charles and Mamie L. Adler, the studio was one of the earliest Black photographic businesses in Detroit. Adler & Adler Studio was a place where people celebrated and immortalized the joys of everyday life: graduations, weddings, and the arrival of new family members. This site, and Black photography studios across the country just like it, were beacons of empowerment, offering Black communities new agency in self-representation. For the first time, it gave them power over how they were represented in the present, and how they would be remembered by future generations. When the Adlers passed away in 1973, they left no heirs, and the studio, along with its collection of photographs, was left behind. Some of these photographs were later discovered and sold to The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, where they now reside as a testament to the studio’s enduring impact.

Images Courtesy of The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History | Curated by Amber Nax
After being approached by ICI with the idea of responding to the Adler & Adler images, the artist, while visiting family in Detroit, photographed the old studio site, now a park, at 4215 Russell Street. Alongside the Adler & Adler images are (10) contemporary photographs of the site, a drawing inspired by the studio backdrops present in the original images, and a sound/video work. Invested in themes of memory, trace, and ghosts, Eli Greene’s response to these images explores what it means to find something that you did not realize was lost.
About the artist

Eli Greene holds a BA from Cornell University and an MFA from The University of Chicago. Through drawing, film, and performance, her practice traces the act of one thing becoming another. Greene’s recent work has been exhibited in Chicago at The Smart Museum of Art, Hyde Park Art Center, Gallery 400, Regards, Goldfinch and Produce Model. She lives and works in Chicago.
About the curator

Amber Nax (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and independent curator native to Detroit, MI. She graduated from Wayne State University, earning an Art History B.F.A with a personal concentration in Black American and African history, contemporary art, culture, and folklore. With a background in arts administration, programming, urban farming, and museum studies.
Amber deals in the archives of art. She is inspired by how an archive will reveal the past, validate the present, and inform the future.
About the partnerships
Dr. Burroughs/Gayden Curatorial Fellowship for African American Curators:
The Dr. Burroughs/Gayden Curatorial Fellowship for African American Curators, a unique initiative between the South Side Community Art Center and Independent Curators International, is a beacon of opportunity for emerging curators. This fellowship, honoring the late Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs, provides a valuable career development opportunity and reflects SSCAC’s commitment to nurturing emerging Black talent through artistic initiatives. It supports curators’ research, the actualization of an exhibition, and the development of their professional networks, offering a curatorial stipend of $1,000 and an exhibition budget of $5,000.
SSCAC:
Founded in 1940, the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Black American art community. As the oldest Black American art center in the United States and a Chicago Historic Landmark, SSCAC is a beacon of cultural heritage and innovation. We take pride in our rich past and continue to build on our legacy, serving as an artist- and community-centered resource with diverse programs and exhibitions. The mission of the South Side Community Art Center is to conserve, preserve, and promote the legacy and future of Black American art and artists while educating the community on the value of art and culture.
About ICI:
Independent Curators International (ICI) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit arts organization that focuses on the role of the curator in contemporary art. We support curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement.
Curators are arts community leaders and organizers who champion artistic practice; build essential infrastructures and institutions; and generate public engagement with art. We work with art spaces in the US and around the world to present exhibitions and public programs for broad audiences; and professional development initiatives for curators.
Our collaborative programs connect curators, artists, and audiences from across social, political, and cultural borders. They form an international framework for sharing knowledge and resources — promoting cultural exchange, access to art, and public awareness for the curator’s role.
The Wright:
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History opens minds and changes lives through the exploration and celebration of African American history and culture. Our vision is of a world in which the adversity and achievement of African American history inspire everyone toward greater understanding, acceptance, and unity.

ReSOURCE
2024-09-14 - 2024-12-21 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Join us for the opening of ReSOURCE: Art and Resourcefulness in Black Chicago

Visit the Virtual Experience

Beyond Frames: Black Women Collectors Shaping Cultural Heritage in Chicago
2025-03-28 16:00 - 2025-04-26 00:00 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Curated by Bethany Hill and rachel dukes
This exhibition highlights a trailblazing group of Black women collectors in Chicago, exploring their practices through care, memory work, and cultural heritage preservation. “Beyond Frames” celebrates an intergenerational group of women who continue this legacy today. Viewers can experience artworks from the personal collections of fourteen different Chicago collectors: Patrica Andrews-Keenan, Carol Briggs, Monique Brinkman-Hill, Faye Edwards, Felicia Grant Preston, Frances Guichard, Eleanor Hambric, Beverly Normand, Cynthia Smith, Arcilla Stahl, Christina Steed, Gail Spann, Sonia Spencer, Alita Tucker, and Shyvette Williams. Each collector was asked:

What piece in your collection brings you the most joy?
What piece represents an aspect of who you are?
What piece best represents your journey as a collector?

Through these reflections and oral interviews, “Beyond Frames” delves into the personal and cultural significance of their collections. These stories reveal how collecting Black art is not only a creative and curatorial act but also an act of cultural preservation, resistance, and community building.
Pictured from top left to bottom right: Sonia Spencer, Patricia Andrews-Keenan, Monique Brinkman-Hill, Faye Edwards, Felicia Grant Preston, Frances Guichard, Gail Spann, Cynthia Smith, Shyvette Williams (photography by Marvin Wells), Beverly Normand, Alita Tucker, Carol Briggs, Christina Steed
The exhibition also honors ancestors Etta Moten Barnett, Margaret Burroughs, Frances Minor, Linda Murray, and Susan Woodson, pioneering female collectors of Black art in Chicago. These women dedicated their lives to preserving the art of the African diaspora, creating galleries and museums in their homes and building invaluable networks to support Black artists.
Pictured from top left to bottom right: Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Etta Moten Barnett, Linda Murray (Photo courtesy of Nubia Murray), Susan Cayton Woodson and Frances Minor at a celebration of Etta Moten Barnett
“Beyond Frames” invites viewers to consider how art transcends traditional frames, engaging with lived experience, ancestral homage, and memory. By celebrating these women, “Beyond Frames” underscores the critical role of Black women collectors in sustaining African diasporic heritage.
Courtesy of the South Side Community Art Center
About the Co-Curators:

Bethany Hill (she/her) is an archivist, curator, and PhD candidate in Art History specializing in Black visual culture and Black feminist spatial practices. Her work explores the ways Black women cultural creators engage in radical spatial thinking and worldbuilding through art and archives. She’s passionate about preserving and celebrating Black cultural heritage by leading archival initiatives, curating exhibitions, and developing research projects that amplify Black creative legacies. She has led numerous curatorial and research projects at the South Side Community Art Center in Chicago, highlighting its rich history and contemporary significance. Currently, Bethany serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Duke University’s David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where she fosters collaborations that center Black voices in archival stewardship and interpretation.

rachel dukes is a writer and curator based in Chicago. rachel has supported numerous curatorial projects across Chicago, including at the South Side Community Art Center, the Hyde Park Art Center, and UIC’s Gallery 400. Her writing has appeared in the Chicago Reader, Sixty Inches From Center, LVL3, and Black Embodiment Studio’s a Year in Black Art. A passionate advocate for community-based arts programming, rachel also serves on the board of Chicago Tap Theatre. In her creative practice, rachel explores the terrain for wonder that is uncovered through art and she is committed to sharing and nurturing this exploration within her community.
About SSCAC:
Founded in 1940, the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Black American art community. As the oldest Black American art center in the United States and a Chicago Historic Landmark, SSCAC is a beacon of cultural heritage and innovation. We take pride in our rich past and continue to build on our legacy, serving as an artist- and community-centered resource with diverse programs and exhibitions. The mission of the South Side Community Art Center is to conserve, preserve, and promote the legacy and future of Black American art and artists while educating the community on the value of art and culture.

The Sound of the South Side: Jazz, Form, and Freedom
2026-04-21 00:00 - 2026-08-01 23:59
In honor of International Jazz Day, 2026, experience the virtual exhibition, The Sound of the South Side: Jazz, Form, and Freedom.
