South Side Community Art Center

One of Chicago’s most tangible landmarks, the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) was founded in Bronzeville in 1940. On top of being a Chicago Historic Landmark, it is the oldest art center specifically for African American artwork. With a mission to preserve and promote African American artwork, the SSCAC showcases current artists as well as honoring the legacy of previous artists.

In 1936, the Federal Art Project began establishing art centers around the United States. With an emphasis on community-oriented spaces, the Federal Art Project stipulated that if community members could provide the funds to rent or buy a building, then the Federal Art Project would pay for remodeling and administrative costs. With that in mind, in 1938 Golden B. Darby, a businessman on the South Side, organized a “Community Art Center Committee” to try and raise funds for a center in Bronzeville. Neighborhood residents were extremely receptive to the cause and generous with their donations. The Committee utilized parties, lectures, performances, and other events to bring in funds for the Community Art Center.

Successful in their endeavors, the Committee raised enough funds to purchase the SSCAC’s building on Michigan Avenue in 1940. The mansion that came to house the SSCAC was commissioned by George A. Seaverns, Jr. and designed by architect Gustav Hallberg in the late nineteenth century. Shortly after acquiring the space for the Center, the Federal Art Project stepped in to honor their side of the deal. Designers Hin Bredendieck and Nathan Lerner remodeled the interior to include features necessary for an Art Center: a performance space, a gallery, and classrooms. The SSCAC first opened to the public in December of that year.

To this day, the South Side Community Art Center is the only center sponsored by the Federal Art Project to remain in its original building. While the Center has seen its ups and downs over the past eighty years, it remains today as a representation of community strength through artwork.

Learn more about SSCAC here.