Seeds of Transformation Taking Root
Chicago’s civic commons 2021 in pictures
The past year has served to reconfirm the importance of a robust, nature-rich public realm that is welcoming to all. From health and wellbeing to environmental and economic resiliency, our parks, trails, libraries and community centers are critical civic infrastructure that provide multi-faceted benefits for communities. Today, we kick off a series of photo essays reflecting on public space efforts in cities across the country, beginning with Chicago’s civic commons work on the South Side led by Rebuild Foundation.
28 Days of Greatness
In February of last year, while Rebuild Foundation’s sites were still closed, the Chicago-based non-profit found a way to continue supporting artists and bringing world-class cultural amenities to their Greater Grand Crossing neighbors. Rebuild Foundation collaborated with local artist Brandon Breaux, the creator behind famed musical artists Chance the Rapper’s album covers, to celebrate Black History Month.
Through “28 Days of Greatness,” Rebuild Foundation and Brandon Breaux unveiled a digital portrait of an emerging Black creative each day of February to demonstrate that Black history and Black heroes don’t just live in the past; they live in our communities. Rebuild worked with Brandon to reproduce physical copies of the digital work and display them outside of the Stony Island Arts Bank for passersby, spreading Black art even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kenwood Gardens Progress
Throughout the Spring and Summer, Rebuild Foundation worked diligently to complete the transformation of Kenwood Gardens from 13 contiguous vacant lots into a thriving community garden. Rebuild was intentional about working with local horticulture experts, like Chicago-based organization Homan Grown, and residents who had a stake in bringing the gardens to life.
With the help of local landscape artists, Rebuild Foundation and their partners hardscaped parts of the property — creating space for performance, dining and wellness activations — and planted the grounds with beautiful, native flora that would ensure that the vitality of the site would be sustainable. From a seed of a vision to lush green space, Kenwood Gardens was born.
Toward Common Cause Opening
After closing the Stony Island Arts Bank and using their space creatively to support the Greater Grand Crossing community throughout the pandemic, Rebuild Foundation was incredibly grateful and energized to reopen to the public with a new exhibition. On July 15, the Stony Island Arts Bank officially reopened with the Toward Common Cause exhibition, a multi-site presentation with works by a number of celebrated MacArthur Fellows including Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Dawoud Bey, Fred Wilson and more.
The Arts Bank’s sub-chapter of Toward Common Cause constitutes an artistic reflection on how we see others, how we see ourselves, and how these views are inflected by race, gender, and class, among other considerations. Toward Common Cause at the Stony Island Arts Bank drew to a close on December 19, 2021.
A Window into the Work at St. Laurence
“I thought this school can be the first moment where I can start to realize some of the things that I wished I had as an emerging artist. This is the first space that’s dedicated to other artists, where we’ll have artists in residence, creative entrepreneurs — the whole building is dedicated to how do Black and brown folk on the South Side develop and hone their talent, so that they can do more for themselves and out in the world.” — Theaster Gates, Founder and Executive Director of Rebuild Foundation
At St. Laurence, a former elementary school shuttered in 2002 and rescued from abandonment by Rebuild Foundation, the non-profit organization is building the foundations for an emerging incubator serving local artists and entrepreneurs. Thanks to a generous $3.5 million inaugural Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation and $750,000 grant from an anonymous donor advised fund at The Chicago Community Foundation, Rebuild has begun remediation and construction on the site. The windows, which were long boarded up with colorfully decorated wooden planks, have now been replaced, signaling that the work ahead is well on its way.
Gathering in the Gardens
“The first goal is to demonstrate that Black space is not vacant. It is not abandoned. It may need care, but, once cared for, Black space is the hottest space in the city.” — Theaster Gates, Founder and Executive Director of Rebuild Foundation
In early September, Rebuild Foundation gathered with more than 300 local residents, neighbors, friends, artists, partners, supporters, elected officials and community leaders to inaugurate their newest site on the South Side of Chicago: Kenwood Gardens. Transformed from 13 contiguous vacant city lots into a blossoming outdoor oasis, Kenwood Gardens is now home to local fauna and regionally appropriate plant life. Kenwood Gardens came to life with the help of local horticulturists and landscape artists and community members who showed up day in and day out to water and care for the blooming flora.
Since opening to the public, Kenwood Gardens has hosted a number of programs, including a Pitchfork after show by musician KeiyAa, a storytelling event for adults in the community and a wellness expo with local practioners in the healing and meditative arts.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners.
