Tell us about the Bronzeville Summer Nights.
Bronzeville Summer Nights is the evolution of two signature community events. the Bronzeville Trolley Tours and the Bronzeville Nights events series. This year, Quad Communities Development Corporation with the support of the Chicago Community Trust, entered into a collaborative partnership with the Bronzeville Art District with the intent of combining creative resources. As a result, our partnership is poised to expand participation of our event to a broader audience, facilitate productive collaborations between the art, business and cultural community and showcase local performing artists and exhibitors.
What’s the significance of the Chicago Community Trust’s grant in support of Bronzeville Summer nights?
The generous funding from the Chicago Community Trust has enabled our organization to increase the amount of cultural programming available in the Bronzeville Summer Nights series, as well as expand our outreach to local artists. Bronzeville is a key cultural hub with respect to African American fine arts, music and literature. Appropriately, the Bronzeville Summer Nights series creates a platform that exposes our rich heritage to cultural networks all over Chicago. Lastly, support from the Chicago Community Trust demonstrates a philanthropic interest in making investments in the arts within our South Side community.
What are a few of the things people can expect when attending Bronzeville Summer Nights?
Guests of Bronzeville Summer Nights will be able to experience the unique and dynamic character of our small business and art community. Our businesses and artistic institutions are eager to set a welcoming stage, that will leave your palate satisfied, and your soul entertained. What’s more there will be ample opportunities for you to purchase mementos to take with you to remind you of your experience in Bronzeville and encourage you to visit our community often.
Can you talk a bit about the importance of having something of this nature on the South Side and in Bronzeville?
We want to highlight Bronzeville’s creative climate by celebrating the marriage of arts, music, good food and great shopping. Because there are so many opportunities to create memories in Bronzeville, we want to showcase the best so that guests are encouraged to visit our community year-round.
What’s next for the Bronzeville Summer Nights?
Bronzeville Summer Nights is an event series that takes place every third Friday through September from 6-9 p.m. Now in its third year, this event series keeps getting, bigger and better each year. For 2016, we have aspirations of activating more commercial corridors within our community, intensifying the level of cultural programming and growing the event so that it becomes a premiere summer event known throughout the city of Chicago and the Midwest.
Bronzeville Summer Nights 2015 hosts its second installment on July 17 from 6-9 p.m. with additional installments to come on Aug. 21 and Sept. 18.
Admission is free. Continuous rotating trolleys will arrive in 15-minute intervals.
Activities include:
Faie Afrikan Art
Fused, Stained, Blown
The Artistry of Glass In The Diaspora
Featuring poetry powerhouse, KLOVE
1005 East 43rd St.
faieafrikanart.com
Fort Smith Designer and Clothing Boutique
1007 E. 43rd St.
Featuring the eclectic sounds of songstress, Chás
Gallery Guichard
WAKE UP!
A Solo Exhibition
by Ti-Rock Moore
436 East 47th
galleryguichard.com
Little Black Pearl Art & Design
Showcasing the art of youth from Chicago’s south side.
1060 East 47th St.
blackpearl.org
South Side Community Art Center
COINTELPRO
A Solo Exhibition by Rahmaan Statik
3831 South Michigan Avenue
sscartcenter.org
Blanc Gallery
RACESPACEPLACE
Featuring work by Devin Mays and Eve Sanford
4445 South King Dr.
blancchicago.com
Bronzeville Artist Lofts
Open artist studios of Nikki Bruce, Roger Carter, Bruce Gage, Raymond A. Thomas
also Phantom Gallery Chicago Network presents
Magician Show
Featuring work by Renee Baker, Alpha Bruton, Nicholas Conlon and Alan Emerson Hicks
436 East 47th St.
Performance begins at 8 p.m.
For more information on Bronzeville Summer Nights, please visit www.bronzevillesummernights.com.
