MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Space-Sharing in Chicago
By The Rev . Sarah Lyn Jones ,
Director of Community Engagement
The South Side of Chicago has a long association with artists who have made their homes in and taken their inspiration from its neighborhoods . While the legacy of creatives like Gwendolyn Brooks , Lorraine Hansberry , Muddy Waters , and Oscar Brown Jr . runs deep in these communities , it can be a challenge for new artists to find the resources they need to create , rehearse , exhibit , and perform their work . In 2021 , Arts Alliance Illinois held meetings with South Side artists to learn what might support their work . One of the clearest needs was affordable space .
Congregations on the South Side of Chicago have a storied history of their own , with magnificent buildings to match . But over the past 30 years , many of these congregations declined and aged in membership , rendering their theaters , classrooms , sanctuaries , and fellowship halls largely empty during the week . So what would happen if a congregation with space to share and an artist with creative energy to spare were to bump into each other ? “ It ’ s like the old Reese ’ s commercial ,” said Henry Wishcamper , founder of Bustling Spaces LLC . “ You create something amazing .”
Although always on the lookout for affordable space , artists are often unaware that sacred places have the amenities they are looking for or that congregations would be open to a partnership . Similarly , congregations don ’ t always see their space as an asset for the creative community and often don ’ t have the connections to promote their buildings as potential studio , theater , and instruction space . Bringing congregations and artists together to imagine what might be possible opens new opportunities for both . The South Side Artists in Sacred Spaces ( SSASS ) program was piloted in 2023 with the goal of creating opportunities for artists and congregations to explore these kinds of partnerships . The program is a collaboration among Partners for Sacred Places , Bustling Spaces LLC , and Arts Alliance Illinois , and is funded by the American Recovery Program through Chicago ’ s
Khari Blackburn is one of several artists-in-residence at The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago . Arts Alliance Illinois
20 SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2025