Stony Island Arts Bank, Chicago
DETAILS:
Location: 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Chicago, IL 60649
Hours of Operation: Friday thru Sunday; 12PM–6PM (but please see website below under “resources” for current hours before visiting since they can change intermittently).
Parking: Free street & metered parking. Please observe any posted street signs.
Cost: Free!
Time Commitment: 1 Hour.
Miscellaneous:
Tours available on weekends. Please check website or call for availability.
The 2nd floor Johnson Library is only open for tours and scheduled events. Otherwise, you’ll have to view it behind a glass wall during regular hours.
Stony Island Arts Bank & Rebuild Foundation offer numerous outreach programs, performances, exhibitions and events. Please check website for schedule and details.
The mission is as simple as it is bold - using art as a way of uniting a community and helping to revitalize the Southside of Chicago. The man behind this noble goal is Theaster Gates and he deserves a standing ovation for his efforts. Theaster is what you’d call a modern day renaissance man since he’s equal parts artist, professor, activist, and philanthropist. When he’s not teaching at the University of Chicago or exhibiting his art all over the world, you can find Theaster advocating for social equality and the legacy of the African-American identity in his hometown. There’s only so many hours in the day and I’m not quite sure when he sleeps, but he somehow gets the job done, and Chicago is much better of for it. So much so, I’m even willing to overlook the fact that he went to Iowa State University (proud University of Iowa alum here). Nobody’s perfect.
In 2010, Theaster established the Rebuild Foundation, a nonprofit organization that reclaims shuttered buildings in devalued neighborhoods in order to transform them into vibrant living spaces and cultural centers. The intent? To give people living in and around these reimagined properties something they can be proud of, and in turn, inspire pride in themselves. Given the blight that most outsiders view this part of the city as, it would be easy to consider this a fool’s errand, but I get the sneaking suspicion that you don’t bet against a man like Theaster Gates.
The Stony Island Arts Bank is one such building that has been restored thanks to the Rebuild Foundation. Also a savvy businessman, Theaster convinced local officials in 2012 to sell this old bank, up for demolition, for just $1. All he had to do was promise its complete renovation as part of the deal. A tireless fundraiser as well, Theaster went right to work and helped raise over four million dollars to see the project complete, opening its doors to the public in 2015. The Stony Island Arts Bank is many things; exhibition gallery, performance space, community hub, archival vault, and sometimes even a yoga studio up on the third floor. With all these activities and events constantly in rotation, the Bank provides a bright sanctuary that entices people into the neighborhood instead of ushering them away as is so often the case otherwise. And of course you’ll find the Johnson Library located on the second floor which has quickly become the Bank’s national calling card. So come for the pictures and stay for the vision of Theater Gates and the Rebuild Foundation.
