The Southside Community Art Center Showcases Black History

Chicago Defender Presents Journey to Empowerment

I saw the ad for the Southside Community Art Center in my online weekly news alerts for the Chicago Defender, and I immediately wanted to visit Bronzeville. I was still pretty excited about the Black History potluck that my co-worker and I organized at my job and wanted to do something after Black History Month to show that Black history does not end at February 29. This Saturday, March 1, 2008, I visited the Southside Community Art Center at 3831 South Michigan Avenue. Parking is easy to find, and the neighborhood is quiet.

I've been to several museums over the years, but I enjoy learning most about African American culture that is so regularly ignored in American textbooks. It's not just of interest to me because I'm African American, but Black artists and business owners are also intriguing to me because there is still a bit of mystery about them that the Board of Education doesn't feel the need to share. The information in the Southside Community Art Center is not going to be in your average history book. The building is cozy, with a single bench and what looks like a fireplace in the main room where the monthly exhibits are located and a class being taught on the second floor. Artwork over the years has included valuable pieces from people like Charles White, Henry Avery, Archibald Motley Jr., and Marian Perkins. Various artists attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and include European, Asian, and Mexican muralists in their styles. Chicago Defender is showcasing their photographic exhibit in the Southside Community Art Center from February 1, 2008 to March 29, 2008.