South Side Community Art Center

All Things Wood: Ancestral Staff and Art Installation
2024-09-21 13:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Earl’s Garden Mae’s Kitchen, 6900 S Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Join Earl’s Garden & Mae’s Kitchen for an evening of food, fun, and culture as we celebrate ten years of art and gardening. The Ancestral Staff and Art Installation is the culmination of our work with One Summer Chicago youth and young adult programs. We will unveil an installation of African staffs, made from reclaimed wood, along with portal doors and Ndebele-style mural panels. Come share in our success! Free and open to the public.

Resilience & Renewal: Connecting with the Earth, the Ancestor and Your Hidden Gifts
2024-10-19 13:00 - 15:00 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Join Khadijah Kysia and Rhonda Wheatley for this hands-on workshop to explore and strengthen our resilience—our brilliance, our ability to make a way out of no way, and our capacity for self-renewal, body, mind, and spirit. Khadijah, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, will provide an interactive primer on herbs involving taste and touch. Rhonda, a multimedia artist and energy worker, will share tools and practices for connecting with ancestors, often a source of our resilience; for connecting with the earth; balancing our energies; and calling forth our hidden gifts. She’ll facilitate a guided meditation, discuss crystals, consult the tarot, and provide writing exercises. Bring a journal and an open mind. You are welcome to participate at your level of comfort.

Harvest Festival
2024-10-26 11:00 - 16:00 | Bronzeville Neighborhood Farm, 4148 S Calumet Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Join us for a celebration of the end of the growing season, with food, entertainment, and presentations by our Youth Farmers. Kids and costumes are welcome!

Family Table: Hearth
2024-12-06 18:00 - 20:00 | SkyART South, 3026 E 91st St, Chicago, IL, 60617, United States
Join SkyART for Family Table: Hearth, an interactive dinner and performance featuring a collaborative shared soup created by two local chefs. Each chef will blend their unique traditions and cultures to create a community pot of soup for guests. Soup, made from simple, often leftover ingredients, signifies resourcefulness and sustainability, transforming what might otherwise be wasted into a nourishing meal. Central to the exhibition is SkyART’s newly imagined mobile food cart, showcased as a medium, an artist’s studio, and an artwork. This series seeks to highlight themes of social justice and community reclamation, through the experience of both service and consumption.

Between Sound & Sight Symposium: Mapping the Sonic Imprints of Charles White’s Vision explores sound, image, and history.
2025-02-15 11:00 - 15:45 | Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E 60th S, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
The South Side Community Art Center, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Logan Center for the Arts, and University of Chicago Presents invite you to Save the Date for Between Sound and Sight: Mapping the Sonic Imprints of Charles White’s Vision, a FREE day-long symposium offered in conjunction with the February 14th performance by pianist/composer Gerald Clayton of his original suite, White Cities: A Musical Tribute to Charles White at the Logan Center for the Arts. The symposium will explore sound, image, and history, offering a deeper engagement with Charles White’s multi-dimensional legacy. Discussions will consider White’s work with musicians and music media—such as illustrations for jazz album covers and film and television, as well as his paintings, etchings, and drawings of musicians—and ways in which his work and legacy continue to reverberate across the cultural landscape, particularly as an influence for contemporary artists. On February 14th, the evening before the symposium, Gerald Clayton will perform his piece White Cities: A Musical Tribute to Charles White, honoring the connection between music and visual art that permeates Charles White’s artistic vision.
Free w/RSVP – Please note seating is limited – Reserve your space at the symposium here.

Reserve your space at the symposium here

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE
Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts 11:00 AM Check-In, Welcome, and KeynoteKeynote: “Greetings from Altadena.” by Ian WhiteCharles White’s son and chief executive of The Charles White Archives 11:30 AM Panel One: Sounds of the Black Archive: Charles White’s Contributions to Film, Television, and Music MediaThroughout his career, Charles White contributed many illustrations for album jackets (mostly jazz recordings), books, television, and film. This panel will explore White’s work with/in music-related media. Examples include Vanguard Records album sleeve illustrations, an accompanying LP for the film Leadbelly directed by Gordon Parks, and illustrations for publications by Harry Belafonte and television collaborations. The discussion will include contemporary artists who also create and incorporate visual media into music contexts, or vice versa, for their projects or others. Moderator: John CorbettPanelists: Damon Locks, Cauleen Smith, and Ian White 12:30 PM Lunch Conversation 1:15 PM Panel Two: Visual & Musical Composition: Inspiration, Collaboration, & the Black AestheticAn element of inspiration for pianist/composer Gerald Clayton in creating his suite, White Cities: A Musical Tribute to Charles White, was to explore White’s visual composition and narrative in the mural Five Great American Negroes and respond musically. This panel will explore how visual artists and musicians find inspiration in visual and sound/music practice and how these influences are rendered compositionally and as points of convergence and meaning-making. Moderator: Travis JacksonPanelists: Gerald Clayton, Angel Bat Dawid, Douglas R. Ewart 2:30 PM Panel Three: Figures in Music: Charles White’s PortraitsCharles White’s portraits of musicians such as Leadbelly, Harry Belafonte, Bessie Smith, and Mahalia Jackson are some of his best-known works. This panel will explore White’s extraordinary portraiture of music-makers and how his relationships with some of these musicians and their work influenced his compositions and activism. In particular, the panel will consider White’s portraits of Black women in music. Moderator: Melanie HerzogPanelists: Daniel Schulman, Benjamin Jones, Tammy Kernodle 3:30 PM Symposium Closing
This project is supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Logan Center Jazz Forever Fund, a gift of the Revada Foundation, and the Robert S. Guttman Family Charitable Fund. The symposium is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities. The White Cities Performance is presented with Chicago Jazz Magazine, DownBeat, Jazz Institute of Chicago, and WDCB 90.9 FM.
Image credit: Photo of Charles White work, Just a Walk with Thee, from the South Side Community Art Center Collection.

Official unveiling renovation & expansion designs, project updates, and how SSCAC will remain a beacon of Black art & culture
2025-02-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Apostolic Faith Church, 3823 S Indiana Ave, Chicago, 60653, United States
About this event
Be a part of history! The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), the country’s oldest continuously operating Black arts institution, is thrilled to announce its upcoming renovation and expansion project. Join us for a special Community Design Unveiling and explore the exciting future of SSCAC. This event will showcase the transformation of the Center with designs created by Future Firm and wrkSHäp | kiloWatt, highlighting the balance between preserving SSCAC’s rich history and introducing bold, accessible, and sustainable new spaces. Learn about the plans to expand visitor capacity by 398%, create museum-grade galleries, rooftop event spaces, and honor the building’s historic legacy. This is a unique opportunity to see how this iconic Bronzeville institution will evolve to better serve the community, support Black artists, and enrich future generations. Questions? Please contact us at capitalproject@sscartcenter.org

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.

Black Women Collectors Shaping Cultural Heritage in Chicago Symposium
2025-03-29 11:00 - 15:30 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Join us for Beyond Frames Symposium: Black Women Collectors Shaping Cultural Heritage in Chicago!

Collecting is an act of care, a means of shaping history, and a declaration of presence. Beyond Frames: Celebrating and Empowering Black Women Art Collectors is a one-day gathering designed to inspire and equip Black women with the resources, knowledge, and strategies to build and sustain meaningful art collections.

Held in alignment with the Beyond Frames exhibition, this symposium brings together collectors, artists, scholars, and cultural leaders to explore the impact of Black women in shaping Chicago’s art landscape. Through a keynote address, panel discussions, and a hands-on writing workshop, we will examine themes of stewardship, legacy, relationship-building, and the evolving role of collecting in Black cultural preservation.

Program Highlights:

Keynote Address – The Power of Collecting, The Responsibility of Remembering by Christina Steed
Panel Discussions – Exploring the role of collecting in cultural preservation, personal storytelling, and market navigation
Writing Workshop – Collecting as Legacy with Rhonda Wheatley
Community Engagement – A space to connect with fellow collectors, artists, and cultural leaders

Beyond Frames celebrates the powerful voices of Black women in Chicago who are at the forefront of collecting art from across the African diaspora, shaping and preserving Black cultural heritage. Featuring works from fifteen local collections, this exhibition explores the personal motivations and evolving journeys of each collector. It highlights the essential role these collections play in elevating Black artists, broadening access to African American art, and inspiring future generations of Black art collectors. By showcasing their unique contributions, Beyond Frames emphasizes the lasting impact of these collections on national conversations about Black art, culture, and legacy.

Exhibition curated by Bethany Hill and rachel dukes.

Image Credit: I Look for You, 2019, relief printing, stipple pencil, acrylic, lithography, liquid gold leaf, decorative papers, fabric, hand stitching, 15” x 20” (framed). From the collection of Patricia Andrews-Keenan.
Reserve a spot

Black Art Rising: The Art Sale
2025-08-15 13:00 - 2025-08-17 16:00 | 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!

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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!

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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.
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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
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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.

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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
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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.
