West Edge Arts opening in Chicago's North Lawndale next summer
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Rendering of West Edge Arts. Photo: Courtesy of Wheeler Kearns Architects
A new "arts destination" will open in North Lawndale next summer, and we got a sneak peek.
The big picture: Plans for West Edge Arts at 3216 W. Ogden Ave. include a cafe, classrooms and a performance stage, all surrounded by a mural park. It's free for visitors.
What they said: "We want this to be a destination where a family can spend the afternoon exploring art, where a young person can discover a new creative passion, where an emerging artist can develop their skills," West Edge Arts executive director Chelsea Dawkins said Tuesday.
Zoom in: One of the most defining features of West Edge Arts will be the 30 murals surrounding the center. One has already been installed.
- Chicago muralist Dorian Sylvain's "Bring It With You" wraps a 50-foot-high pillar in colorful imagery inspired by arts-and-crafts traditions of various cultures.
- "My design is grounded in the question of what makes a place home?" Sylvain explained.
- "What do we bring with us when we leave our place of origin and we come to a new place? What do we bring that helps us to create a new space, a new home, but one that is still grounded in memory, grounded in tradition, grounded in aesthetic?"
State of play: West Edge Arts operates as a nonprofit with funding for the center from individual donors and the Vivo Foundation.
What's next: The arts center is expected to open next summer.