Three old age ago , Chicago cant Stony Island Savings & Loan wasnearly a 100 old and had been entirely untouched since the 1980s . The roof had caved in and weather took hold of the crumbled infrastructure . To most , it may have seemed best to tear the once - beautiful building down , but Chicago artistTheaster Gates Jr.had other plan . Gates buy the abandoned ship building for a single dollar from the city of Chicago in 2012 and got to work . He handle to raise considerable funds to avail restore the bank through a number of enterprise , include salvage marble from the bank and selling it in orthogonal pieces called " bank bonds " at Art Basel . After intensive renovations , the 17,000 straight base building opened to the public on October 6 .
Tom Harris © Hedrich Blessing
Under the newfangled cognomen Stony Island Arts Bank , the construction is now home to art installations , artists , scholars , and archives on art history , architecture , and mordant culture . It also house theRebuild Foundation , a non - profit organization founded by Gates to seat culture in developing region . “ This is a novel variety of ethnic amenity , a raw kind of institution — a hybrid art gallery , metier archive and library , and community center . It is an mental home of and for the South Side — a depository for African American culture and history , a testing ground for the next generation of black artist and polish - occupy hoi polloi ; a platform to showcase future leader — be they painter , pedagog , scholars , or curators , ” Gates said in a press release .
Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
The banking concern , meant to be a quad for black artists and community members to interact and partake in with the South Side community , is planning a number of future projection . In conjunction with the opening , it is presently spotlight an installing by Portuguese creative person Carlos Bunga called Under the Skin , which feature tall composition board column . Visitors will also be capable to enjoy a number of artistic creation exhibits and text
. The University of Chicago and School of Art Institute donated over 60,000 glass lantern slide that comprehend everything from Primitivist art to the Modernist period . And the edifice will also be home to a good ball of Johnson Publishing ’s library , meaning the public will have access to publications likeJet , Ebony , andNegro Digest . you’re able to visit the new artwork spaceTuesdays through Saturdaysfree of tutelage , but contribution are always welcome .
Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Tom Harris © Hedrich Blessing
[ h / t : Colossal]All images courtesy of Rebuild Foundation .
