Historic South Side Community Art Center Receives $2 Million Boost for Transformative Expansion

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Bronzeville · November 20, 2025

The South Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville has received a $2 million grant to support its ambitious renovation and expansion project. The funds will help transform the historic landmark at 3831 S. Michigan Avenue by adding a 9,700-square-foot addition that will double the size of the facility. The expansion will include new gallery spaces, archive rooms, artist studios, meeting spaces, collection storage, and a rooftop deck offering spectacular views of the neighborhood.

"This space created some of the most masterful works — some of the most amazing artists who came together," said Executive Director Monique Brinkman-Hill, referencing luminaries like Gordon Parks who once worked in the center's darkroom. The construction project includes restoring and rehabilitating both the interior and exterior of the building, which is both a city landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The center's remarkable wood-paneled modernist first-floor gallery, originally designed by members of the New Bauhaus, will be carefully restored and improved as part of the project. Bronzeville residents can look forward to experiencing the revitalized center when the project is completed, with the new facilities further cementing the neighborhood's reputation as a cultural hub for African American arts.

Sources:
1. https://www.wbez.org/architecture/2025/11/17/bronzeville-south-side-community-art-center-driehaus-2-million-grant