projects

near northwest arts council
Wicker Park Art Center

protect St Paul's for public commons

The Near NorthWest Arts Council, a non-profit organization, entered an agreement in 2008 with the church trustees of St Paul's to find an adaptive reuse of the building that maintains the charitable purpose, public access and serves the needs of the community. NNWAC invested more than $120,000 to commission a feasibility study regarding the viability of a community cultural center. NNWAC succeeded in attracting more than 38 program partners and hosted 40,000 attending concerts, theater, lectures, exhibits and workshops since 2008. NNWAC manages cultural programs, arts education, and community services six days a week, and a sub-tenant, a young and growing congregation hosts two religious services on Sundays.
It is the goal of NNWAC to purchase the facility, to maintain charitable purpose, and to raise funds to rehab the building. The church trustees breached the contract with NNWAC, deciding to sell the church for a quick cash sale. Strong objections were made public by community residents, artists users and program partners with letters addressed to Alderman Moreno. The Wicker Park Committee and Alderman Proco Joe Moreno will not support zoning changes.
We are at a critical juncture and need your support. Sign the public petition which is directed to the St Paul’s church trustees. With the downturn in the economy, the devaluation of real estate and the condition of the building, the church board has placed a price on the property that far exceeds the current value. They want to sell the property on the open market, ignoring the important work that NNWAC, together with artists, teachers and community activists have invested in the community rebuilding effort. More information about issues that affect the project.

• We the undersigned, request that the church owners sell the church property to NNWAC, a community based non-profit organization, which is pledged to protect and preserve resources dedicated to arts, education and culture.
• The transfer price should be based on the appraised value which considers the costs to bring property up to date, meeting current life and safety building codes for City of Chicago and maintains the current use for charitable purpose.
• We, the undersigned, support the continued use of the facility for public access for arts, culture, education and church use.
• We, the undersigned, believe that St Paul's Community Church should demonstrate a social responsibility to the broader Chicago community, to protect and preserve the asset that they inherited from the previous generations, not to destroy a common asset, but to allow the next generations to protect and sustain the property for future generations.
To sign the petition go to public petition https://www.change.org/petitions/protect-st-pauls-as-public-commons-in-wicker-park

acme art works

Artists frequently work in small groups, are unfunded and operate way below the radar. Dance, music, theater, media and visual artists do not often find opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. Factory space is well suited for experimental work, but is not legal for hosting audiences due to zoning and life safety issues. Established venues are often too big for the intimacy required by cabaret, poetry, dance, jazz and experimental music. Acme Art Works is our project space, and NNWAC invites artists to curate projects, to workshop ideas with intense collaboration. We purposefully create opportunities across disciplines to learn more effective strategies from each other.

st paul's cultural center

The Near NorthWest Arts Council, a community based tax exempt 501c3 organization, is working with the church council of St Paul Community Church to transform the facility into a cultural center. The Romanesque style church, built in 1890, is an example of exceptional craftsmanship and a major contributor to the Wicker Park historic district.

St Paul Cultural Center is a destination offering community cultural events and quality performing arts of international stature. We propose that the main floor will present recitals, choir, chamber and jazz concerts, small scale theater and cabaret. The lower level cabaret space will offer a more flexible space for community arts activities. This would include visual arts projects, workshops, meetings, film, lectures and open mike events.

The feasibility study estimates the renovation cost and indicate if sufficient resources are available to undertake the redevelopment. We propose to identify arts partners interested in joining forces to obtain permanent shared quarters. Also, NNWAC has surveyed local residents to establish audience interest.

DIY weddings @ st paul's
the artful alternative celebration space

Make it your very own celebration, invite your family and musician friends to play a role, make it a green event. The chapel provides a beautiful architectural space with stained glass, carved wood and seating for up to 300.
Call for details: 773.278.7677

face the street

In the past twenty years NNWAC has organized arts festivals, outdoor film programs, public art installations, arts education workshops, and hosted exhibits that launched many careers.
NNWAC is artist directed and as such, fostered programs that linked mature, experienced artists, with emerging artists and students. NNWAC’s goal is to engage the public in a year round cultural programs that encourages public participation. Face the Street will activate empty storefronts, vacant lots and underutilized space with public art, performance and film events. Residents and business will be invited to select art work for public display and participate in workshop events.

artist housing

NNWAC has actively worked to change public policy in issues critical to artists with a focus on economic development, affordable housing, zoning and ownership. It took twelve years to achieve the work/live condo development, Acme Artists Community, to the transfer the $3.5 million investment into the private control of the artists as property owners. is illustrated in before and after pictures, press reports, the culminating launch with Mayor Daley.

NNWAC worked directly with artists to design, develop and build a 25 unit work/live condo community in a 46,000 square foot industrial building. NNWAC conducted a feasibility study for the project connecting with artist housing developers in six major US cites. NNWAC board and its advisors contributed professional experience in design, planning, and marketing. NNWAC hired the project development team with proven professional expertise in design, finance, legal and adult training. NNWAC knowledge base includes an infrastructure of planning documents related to space that include partnership agreements, cooperative management plan, property lease agreements, and financial planning workshops. The limited equity provisions demonstrate a key innovation; a legal component that protects the future viability of an artist owned work/live community. NNWAC is forward thinking, as one of only three artist housing developments nation wide that developed artist owned space. The project succeeded in three major goals: to avoid the displacement in the face of dynamic gentrification, to limit the effect of increasing property taxes, and to insure sustainable artist community with durable, green construction.