CGN Staff

Chicago's westward art expansion continues. Yesterday the Chicago Artists Coalition formally announced that they are moving the CAC to a new location at 2130-40 West Fulton Street in the dynamic Kinzie Industrial Corridor in spring 2018. CAC will be neighbors with Gray Warehouse, which moved to 2044 W Carroll in April 2017. They will also be near Spudnik Press and Linc Thelen Gallery, as well as Filter Photo and other tenants at Hubbard Street Lofts, 1821 W Hubbard. 

The new location will occupy 6,286 sq. ft. of a 55,000 sq. ft. building, providing CAC with the option to grow its footprint over time.  The 44-year-old, non-profit organization has been at its current West Loop/Fulton Market location at 217 North Carpenter for the past seven years.

“We have truly appreciated the community support that we received at our current building in the Fulton Market District,” said CAC Executive Director, Caroline Older.  “As we continue to grow, the new location just west of the District will provide benefits that will allow us to serve an even wider community and to be more easily accessed by those we serve.”

CAC’s new space will be customized to create a unique arts center for both the artists that CAC serves and the public. Improvements include a single-floor layout that will be ADA accessible, a dedicated education space, and enhanced artist studios and galleries. The location also provides easy access from downtown and the highways, and is close to the new Damen Avenue CTA “L” stop slated to open in 2020. Partners on the project include Larry Serota of commercial real estate firm, Transwestern, architect Ware Malcomb, general contractor Braun Renovation Management, and building owner EverWest Real Estate Partners, LLC.

The buildout of the space will begin in March 2018, with CAC moving in June 2018. One of the first looks at the space will take place on June 7, when CAC welcomes guests to its annual benefit gala, WORK IN PROGRESS, at the new location.

CAC is grateful to the Arts & Culture Loan Fund, a program of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which provides small and medium-sized arts and culture organizations with loans to address cash flow needs. Qualifying for the program and loan enables CAC to plan for the move to its new location.

Established in 1974, the Chicago Artists Coalition, is a non-profit organization that supports emerging Chicago artists through education, artist residencies, and exhibitions—providing them with the resources to live, work, and thrive in the city. CAC is committed to building a diverse community of artist leaders who define the place of art in our city’s culture and economy, and to cultivating a wide-reaching civic, philanthropic, and public support network that enhances the impact of contemporary artists in Chicago.

More details on CAC and its current programming may be found here. 

​Image: 2130-40 W. Fulton St, with rendering by CAC artist, Erik Peterson, of his work, Seep.