South Side Community Art Center

Black Art Rising: The Art Sale
2025-08-15 13:00 - 2025-08-17 16:00 (America/Chicago) | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
COLLECT THE LEGACY OF SSCAC
Honoring Our Legacy | Building Our Future

Friday, August 15: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Saturday, August 16: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday, August 17: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
As we make room for our future, take a piece of our past home. From original artwork and archival prints to books, posters, studio supplies, and rare objects from past exhibitions, Black Art Rising: The Art Sale offers a rare opportunity to take home a piece of the Center’s living history. This also includes exhibition treasures and supplies that have supported decades of creativity at 3831 S. Michigan Ave.
Whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply want to bring a story home, each piece has been priced with care and intention. Some works were made within these walls. Others have lived here for years. All carry the spirit of Black art on the South Side.
This sale also marks a transition. As we prepare for the renovation and expansion of our historic landmark building, every purchase fuels the future through our Black Art Rising Capital Campaign.
Come browse, celebrate, and collect. Let’s make space together for what’s next.
Save the Date!

SSCAC Salvage Day: Artist Appreciation & Moving Giveaway
2025-09-27 11:00 - 16:00 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Take What You Can

Saturday, September 27 from 11 AM – 4 PM

On Saturday, September 27 from 11–4 PM, SSCAC will open its doors one last time before construction begins — inviting our artist community to explore and collect pieces and materials that can support their practices, while also taking home a piece of SSCAC’s history.
As we clear the building for the future, we’re giving back to the artists and our community who have carried SSCAC for 85 years. Materials and supplies will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is the only opportunity to visit before SSCAC closes for renovation. No follow-up dates, no return visits — just one afternoon to walk through and take part in this historic moment.
Salvage what you can before we break ground!

_________________________________________

Frequently asked questions

What are we giving away?
Furniture, studio (art) supplies, books, and other items that once called the Center home.
Is there a cost?
Everything is free — we’d rather it be reused than thrown away.
Do I need to RSVP?
RSVPs are preferred, however no one will be turned away.
How will items be distributed?
First-come, first-served.
Will SSCAC provide packaging, labor or holds?
We’re not able to provide packing, lifting, or holds — please plan to bring what you need to move items yourself.
What if something is no longer available?
Staff will let you know on site.

A CELEBRATION OF ARTISTS, COMMUNITY AND CULTURE - SSCAC 85TH ANNIVERSARY
2025-10-16 17:00 - 21:00 | Haven Entertainment Center, 932 E 43rd St, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Celebrate art, culture & community with delectable cuisine, live art, soulful music & more—support our $100K Community Renovation Fund!

_________________________________

Honoring Our Legacy | Building Our Future

Join the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) as we celebrate 85 years of artistic brilliance, community impact, and cultural preservation. Our 85th Anniversary Celebration is more than an evening of festivities—it is a powerful tribute to our legacy and a critical step toward our future.
Founded in 1940, SSCAC is the nation’s only remaining WPA-era Black art center, and for 85 years, we have been a cornerstone of creativity in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. As we commemorate this historic milestone, we also look forward with purpose through our Capital Campaign to renovate, preserve, and expand our beloved center.
Proceeds to Benefit the Community Renovation Fund
A portion of all proceeds from this year’s celebration will support our Community Renovation Fund, a vital part of our capital campaign. These funds will help us restore our historic facility, expand our programming space, and ensure future generations of artists have a place to thrive. Our event fundraising goal is to raise $100,000 to support our $200,000 Community Renovation Fund. This fund is a vital part of our overall $18 million dollar Black Art Rising Campaign.
Why Your Support Matters
Your presence and partnership are essential. Whether through purchasing a ticket or becoming a valued event partner, you are investing in the cultural future of Chicago. Your contribution empowers us to:

Preserve an irreplaceable landmark of Black history and artistry
Expand access to art education, exhibitions, and community engagement
Create a lasting space for artists to grow, express, and lead

Event Highlights

Culinary Experiences from Local Chefs
Live Artist Renderings
SSCAC Featured Collection on Display
Silent Auction Featuring Art, Luxury Trips, Entertainment, and Experiences
Recognition of Cultural Leaders & Legacy Honorees

Featuring 6 Live Artists

Six of Chicago’s very own artists will create new work live during SSCAC’s 85th Anniversary Celebration — a testament to the legacy and future of Black art on the South Side.

Martha A. Wade · Dana Todd Pope · Paul Branton · Kiarah Jackson · Kudzai B. Mutasa · Jess Patterson

Their work honors the past while shaping what’s next, reminding us why SSCAC has been a cultural home for 85 years and counting.

Join Us in Celebrating 85 Years of Creativity and Community
Together, let’s honor the artists, uplift our community, and preserve the culture that defines us.
_______________________

_______________________

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Margaret Burroughs Sponsor:

Robert S. Guttman Family Charitable Fund

Archibald Motley Sponsor
Bill Michel and Mark Botelho
Bryan Perry
Judy Matthews

In-Kind Sponsors:
Pigment International
William Bigham Gallery
Strategic Events Solutions, Inc.

PARIS IN BLACK / CHICAGO: WALKTHROUGH & PUBLIC DIALOGUE
2026-02-07 10:00 - 12:00 | DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 East 56th Place, Chicago, IL, 60637
Curator-Led Exhibition Walkthrough & Public Dialogue
Saturday, February 7, 2026
10:00 AM–12:00 PM
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
_____
ABOUT THIS EVENT

In connection with PARIS IN BLACK: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance, the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) invites the public to a curator-led exhibition walkthrough and dialogue at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.
Led by Danny Dunson, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Arts Education at the DuSable and curator of PARIS IN BLACK, this program brings together two sister institutions shaped by shared histories of Black migration, artistic modernism, and cultural exchange between the late nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century.
PARIS IN BLACK examines how Black artists, writers, and intellectuals navigated the racial constraints of the United States by moving across borders—particularly to Paris—during periods spanning post-Reconstruction, the interwar years, and the rise of modernism. These international movements unfolded alongside the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans relocated from the South to northern cities like Chicago, reshaping Black cultural life, institutions, and artistic networks.
The exhibition includes select works on loan from SSCAC’s permanent collection and archival holdings, including Archibald Motley, Sunday in the Park (1941). Positioned within the exhibition’s broader exploration of Black internationalism, the work anchors global narratives of movement and exchange within the social life, modernity, and visual culture of Black Chicago.
Founded in 1940, the South Side Community Art Center emerged in direct response to the exclusion of Black artists from mainstream museums and galleries, establishing a permanent site for Black artists working across modernist, social realist, and diasporic traditions within both local and international contexts.
The walkthrough offers a structured way to move through the exhibition together—slowing down with the work and creating space to reflect on artistic movement as both physical migration and aesthetic strategy. Following the walkthrough, participants will gather for a facilitated public dialogue connecting Paris, Chicago, and the enduring role of Black institutions in sustaining artistic life, memory, and possibility.
This program is open to the public. Admission is free.

SATELLITE EVENT | DESIGN DIALOGUE: A RENEWED SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY ART CENTER
2026-02-25 18:00 - 19:15 | Chicago Architecture Center (Lecture Hall), 111 E. Wacker Drive
Join us for a captivating look at the South Side Community Art Center as we embark on the biggest transformation in our storied 85-year history.

_____

Presented by the Chicago Architecture Center, in conversation with the South Side Community Art Center
February 25, 2026
6:00–7:15 PM
Tickets: $10 General · $5 CAC & SSCAC Members · Free for Burnham Society
Chicago Architecture Center (Lecture Hall) | 111 E Wacker Drive
_____
ABOUT THIS EVENT
Join the South Side Community Art Center at the Chicago Architecture Center for an in-depth conversation on the Center’s historic renewal and future vision.
This public program brings together lead architect Ann Lui, preservation architect k. kennedy Whiters, and SSCAC Executive Director Monique Brinkman-Hill, moderated by architecture critic Lee Bey. Together, they will reflect on SSCAC’s legacy and share insights into the design and preservation work guiding its $15 million redevelopment.

SATELITTE EVENT: A BLACK WOMEN IN THE ART CONVENING
2026-04-12 12:00 - 14:00 | Blanc Gallery, 4445 S Martin Luther King Dr,, Chicago, IL, 60653
Join SSCAC at Blanc for a Black Women in the Arts Convening—an afternoon centered on Black women and being together in creative community.

_____
Blanc Gallery
4445 S Martin Luther King Dr, Chicago, IL 60653
12 pm to 2 pm
Sunday, Apr 12

_____
ABOUT THIS EVENT
South Side Community Art Center invites you to join us for an afternoon of gathering, connection, and reflection.
After a pause in 2025 as SSCAC continued its capital campaign and transitioned back into our historic building, we are returning to this convening in 2026—this year gathering at Blanc, a Black- and woman-led space—as we create space once again for Black women, femme, and non-binary artists, curators, and cultural workers to come together.
Rooted in SSCAC’s legacy of supporting Black women in the arts, this gathering centers the role of Black women as stewards of institutions, collaborators across disciplines, and builders of cultural life.
The convening is intentionally intimate and lightly structured, with time to be in community.
Join us for drinks, small bites, and music as we come together.
This gathering is LGBTQIA inclusive. All who are aligned with the space are welcome.

The Sound of the South Side: Jazz, Form, and Freedom
2026-04-21 - 2026-12-01
In honor of International Jazz Day, 2026, experience the virtual exhibition, The Sound of the South Side: Jazz, Form, and Freedom.

SATELLITE EVENT: CREATIVE WOLD BUILDING WORKSHOP SERIES
2026-05-23 10:00 - 12:00 | The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, 6400 South Kimbark Avenue,, Chicago, IL, 60637
Join us for a writing & mixed media workshop centered on reflection, creative growth, and building a sustainable creative practice.

_____
The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago
Saturday, May 23
10 am – 12 pm
6400 South Kimbark Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
_____
ABOUT THIS EVENT
The Creative World-Building Workshop Series, facilitated by Rhonda Wheatley, is an in-person program supporting artists and the broader creative community in building sustainable creative practices through writing, reflection, and mixed-media artmaking.
Each session offers space to slow down and reconnect with your creative process through journaling, guided reflection, and intuitive making. Participants explore themes of transformation, world-building, and future visioning while developing practices that feel grounded and self-directed.
Workshops are free to attend, with a $10 suggested donation.
Please RSVP in advance to attend.
