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Arts and Culture
Arts & Culture
We will create a distinct image for our community through creative and cultural initiatives and encourage the use of the arts as a tool to achieve our other goals and create a sense of community pride and unity.
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Back of the Yards residents expressed a strong desire for expanded arts and culture programming that celebrates the community’s multicultural identity and rich industrial history, provides a creative, engaging experience for youth and teens, and enhances the economic base.
Arts and cultural events in communities encourage social interaction and enrich collective identity, which can lead to an increase in civic participation and community dialogue. Because participation in the arts and cultural events can connect residents to community institutions, increased programming in Back of the Yards can help to achieve other quality of life initiatives discussed in the community plan. Thus, the suggested strategies and action items are not limited to just the arts community, but to any organizations interested in making Back of the Yards a more vibrant and celebratory environment. Young people in Back of the Yards, in particular, can benefit from the arts and cultural placemaking. Through such programming, youth are introduced to community building and are able to meaningfully contribute to their neighborhood. Youth art programs also help teens to develop creative problem solving and social skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Research compiled by the Americans for the Arts documents that students involved in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores and lower dropout rates. Research also demonstrates that the arts strengthen the local economy by driving tourism and attendance at cultural events and patronage of local businesses.
The benefits of arts and culture programming are multifaceted in that they lead to the development of more livable and visually appealing public spaces, while simultaneously contributing to community building and neighborhood pride. The following strategies will help to create a strong community of artists, while also celebrating the diverse cultural identity of Back of the Yards.
Vista Hermosa Mural. Source: Great Cities Institute, 2018.
Arts Resources
2
6
Damen Ave Ashland Ave Racine Ave 3 4 5
1
Pershing Rd
Art Programs Art on 51st The Woodshop 1 2
43rd St
Halsted St 47th St
51st St
Murals and Installations Viaduct Murals, Laflin Viaduct Murals, Loomis Viaduct Murals, Throop Supermercado La Raza Mural, 47th 3 4 5 6
Figure 14: New City Arts Resources. Source: Great Cities Institute Asset Mapping. Map created by Great Cities Institute. Opposite: Murals throughout Back of the Yards. Source: Great Cities Institute, 2018.
Garfield Blvd
Resident Vision Ideas
• Increase art programs (such as mural painting) with children and teens
• Build a big sculpture that aligns with the identity of the BOTY community at the main
intersection of the commercial corridor
• Open a cultural center for performing/visual arts Arts and Culture Arts and Culture
Objectives
Objective 1
Expand local arts and culture programs and events to serve the diverse communities of Back of the Yards.
The community’s diverse ethnic heritages, particularly the Mexican-Latino, African-American, and Afro-Latino communities, have made Back of the Yards the vibrant neighborhood it is today. Involving these groups in cultural events will create an inclusive community atmosphere that has both social and economic benefits. By expanding art programs that serve the neighborhood’s youth, they can become more engaged with their community in a creative and productive manner.
Case Study
SkyArt, Chicago, IL
SkyART is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free visual arts programming for young people “to create, to communicate effectively, and to learn the essential skills and creative thinking needed to succeed.” SkyART also partners with schools on Chicago’s South Side and various neighborhod organizations to provide after-school arts programming and community workshops.
(Sources: Chicago Tribune, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.)
Case Study
Yollocalli Arts Reach, Chicago, IL Yollocalli Arts Reach is the award-winning youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art that offers free arts and culture programming to teens and young adults. Located in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, they serve as an open community center with studio spaces, computer lab, radio production studio, a large art library, and a creative, supportive staff who are always around to help, encourage, and inspire. Yollocalli aims to strengthen the students’ creative and cultural capital by engaging them with their own cultural discourses through art making.
Mural on 47th Street. Source: Great Cities Institute, 2018.
Objectives
Case Study
ElevArte’s Each One/Reach One Program, Chicago, IL
Objective 2
Each One/Reach One is a Chicago-based arts mentorship program, which matches working artists with youth participating in ElevArte’s programs. The young people and their mentors participate in arts workshops as well as career and leadership development opportunities, allowing participating teens to explore if a career in art is of interest to them. The creation of an arts center in Back of the Yards will provide the foundation and resources needed to cultivate the neighborhood’s artist community. An arts center space could provide classes and programs for youth and adults alike and may be used as an outlet to address some of the topics covered in this plan such as: beautification, education, and public health.
Objective 3
Art can be used as a means to promote local businesses, as well as beautify vacant spaces along Back of the Yards commercial corridors and throughout neighborhoods. Not only does art lend to the unique cultural character of the community, but it also makes the pedestrian experience more enjoyable. The local arts community can assist in making Back of the Yards a destination for street art, which will simultaneously benefit the business community.
Objectives
Case Study
Ad Hoc Art, Brooklyn, NY
In Summer 2009 in Brooklyn, New York, Ad Hoc Art (AHA) was commissioned by the local Business Improvement District (similar to a Special Service Area) to transform a row of vacant stores scheduled for redevelopment into a temporary street art gallery known as Willoughby Windows. The creative art exhibit transformed an otherwise vacant eyesore into an interesting space for pedestrians.
Objective 4
Create a neighborhood Arts Collective.
Inviting local artists to meet and form a collective will give rise to opportunities for cultural engagement and collaborative cultural and arts initiatives. Members of the art collective would be able to partner with parks and schools to develop stronger arts curriculums and participatory events.
Objective 5
Sufficient funding is critical to creating a stronger and more vibrant arts community. Existing community funding can help support arts and culture initiatives if community organizations collaborate with artists to supplement their own programs and events. These partnerships could also open the door to more financial grant opportunities. For artists and cultural workers looking to expand into civic engagement and community artwork, grant writing training could be provided to assist with the collection of funds.
Arts and Culture Implementation Actions
Objective 1
Strategies
Expand local arts program to serve diverse communities of Back of the Yards
a. Expand youth art programs to keep students engaged and provide them with a creative outlet in their community.
b. Expand arts programs that honor and celebrate the diverse ethnic heritages that make up Back of the Yards.
c. Identify all arts programs available to families in Back of the Yards.
d. Connect the community with city-wide institutions that already work within the art sector to expand programming and assist with funding. Lead Organization(s) Partnering Organization(s)
BYNC, Port Ministries, The Gate Newspaper
CPL, Peace and Education Coalition, CPS, National Museum of Mexican Art, Amor al Arte, Brown Wall Project, Chicago Park District, The Plant Chicago, Community Members, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, Ayodele Drum and Dance
Strategies a. Identify spaces that already support the arts. b. Identify areas in the neighborhood that don’t have access to the arts. c. Find grants to help fund this initiative. d. Identify artists looking to expand into civic engagement and community artwork.
Strategies a. Utilize vacant storefronts as art gallery spaces. b. Use vacant lots to provide community engaged art workshops c. Connect businesses to local artists to help brand businesses.
d. Provide arts and cultural workers with a basic understanding of community development best practices. Lead Organization(s) Partnering Organization(s)
BYNC, Port Ministries, The Gate Newspaper Community Members, VAMOS
Lead Organization(s)
BYNC, Port Ministries, The Gate Newspaper Partnering Organization(s)
Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Monarcas PLACE 7, Agencia Y Notaria Cadena, Amor al Arte, Line Break, Brown Wall Project, Folded Map Project, The Plant Chicago, VAMOS, Peace and Education Coalition, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, Ayodele Drum and Dance
Arts and Culture Implementation Actions
Strategies a. Identify and invite all neighborhood participating artists to meet and form a collective. b. Create a robust team of engaged artists and cultural workers. c. Engage young artists and contact CPS art departments for potential candidates.
d. Locate space in parks and schools that can house resident artists.
Objective 5
Strategies
a. Amplify existing funding in the community to work towards objectives.
b. Bring together grant writers from the community and search for potential grant opportunities and partnerships. c. Provide grant writing training for artists, cultural workers, and community memebrs interested in using art to promote civic engagement. Lead Organization(s) Partnering Organization(s)
The Gate Newspaper, Port Ministries CPS High School Art Departments, Community Members, Amor al Arte, Mujeres Mutantes, Sonika Photography Arts and Studio, VAMOS, Folded Map Project
Lead Organization(s)
BYNC, Port Ministries, The Gate Newspaper Partnering Organization(s)
BYNC, CPL, Chicago Park District, Amor al Arte, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, The Plant Chicago, DCASE, National Museum of Mexican Art
Supermercado La Raza Mural, 47th. Source: BYNC, 2019.
Plan Launch Meeting, 2019
Source: Great Cities Institute, 2019.
