equity arts board
equity arts board
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I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
OUR PARTNERS
Heaven Gallery
second floor
1997 - present
Heaven Gallery back deck screening early 2000's
Founder, David Dobie at 80's themed party
David Dobie established Heaven Gallery in the Flatiron building in 1997 and in 2000 it moved to its current location in the Lubinski building. Prior to Heaven, the loft was home to Ricky Renier and Beret International gallery. Alma Wieser described visiting the building in the early 2000’s as “you would go to an art party at Buddy and go through the back to Heaven”. The DIY space hosted art exhibitions, classical concerts, screenings, fashion shows, yoga classes, comedy shows, and a weekly improv jazz series titled “Protest”. The gallery also hosted indie folk performers such as Angel Olsen and Dark Dark Dark. In 2010 Piano Forte donated a baby grand piano for the classical and improv jazz series. For the past two decades, Heaven has established itself as a multidisciplinary art space and a launching pad for contemporary artists that included Hương Ngô, Jason Lazarus and Mika Horbuchi. Its reputation as a Chicago cultural institution goes beyond Wicker Park.
Installation shot from Huong Ngo's exhibition, Training and Development in 2006
In 2010, Alma Wieser became the director and reorganized the gallery with a new board of directors. She introduced an innovative retail model of curated vintage goods to support the organization; this gallery/shop blurred the line between retail and community art space. In 2018, she introduced a racial equity initiative for a 60% ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) majority for the board of directors and for artists presented. In 2019, the organization partnered with the Parks District to include kid art classes and field trips to the gallery. Part of the gallery’s success is the dedication of its interns, who learn entrepreneurial skills and sustainable practices. This program mentors young leaders, and its success has been proven through former interns continuing on to work at commercial galleries or even opening their own gallery. Current programming includes exhibitions viewed through gallery/shop hours, virtual artists' talks, mediations, workshops, and House music DJ sessions.
Director, Alma Wieser
Opening of the Petty Biennial with installation by Jacquelyn Carmen Guerrero, 2019
LVL3
third floor
2010 - present
Vincent Uribe, an SAIC alumnus, opened LVL3 on the third floor in 2010. LVL3 is an artist-run exhibition space and online publication. The space is dedicated to supporting a diverse range of creative talent from around the world. The gallery fosters creative connections and collaborative work through writing, interviews, exhibitions, and events. The online publication features an artist of the week section that spotlights creators and makers through interviews. Vincent Uribe is also the Art Director of Arts for Life, a nonprofit that works with artists with disabilities. LVL3 also hosts an annual EXPO Chicago afterparty for artists and visitors to the event to connect.
LVL3 founder, Vince Uribe
LVL3 back deck view
Exhibition opening at LVL3
Arts of Life
2000 - present
Some of the studio artists at Arts of Life
Arts of Life is a non-profit institution that advances the creative arts
community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental
disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and
strengthen their leadership. Founded in January 2000, the
organization’s mission is to create a working, person-centric, artistic
community that provides an environment of equality for artists of physical and intellectual disabilities.
Metro Chicago
1982 - present
The Metro stage is a lot of things to a lot of people—a big break, a headliner’s dream,—but no matter what transpires under the nearly hundred-year-old roof, one thing remains the sole focus—the music. Metro isn’t in the business of simply buying talent, though—breeding the acts gracing the stage is engrained in the venue’s artistic credo.
Year in and year out for over three decades, the Metro roster has maintained a delicate balance between national headliners and local up-and-comers. With every musical movement that has swept across Chicago—and the country. Countless Chicago artists have laid their roots in Metro as a business, sanctuary, and springboard.
Oro Chocolate & Coffee
2023 - present
Nestled in the heart of Nicaragua, amidst lush rainforests, a humble chocolate and coffee company was born. Oro Chocolate & Coffee stands as a testament to a dream nurtured over a decade. Their mission: to create delectable treats while embracing sustainability and ethically sourced cacao and coffee.
Mufa Saylawala, Oro's founder, felt called to Nicaragua from his hometown of Chicago. There he spent ten years immersed in the world of cacao, coffee, and hospitality. The creation of Oro was informed by both the desire for sustainable, ethical product, and the knowledge of just how exploitative the cacao industry could be. Enraged by the forced and child labor of the African cacao industry, he embarked on a mission to create a business that collaborated with local populations rather than extracting from them.
Global Girls
2026 - present
Oro's commitment to sustainability goes beyond the products. Their operations are designed to plant trees and support reforestation, ensuring a positive ecological impact. They invest in eco-friendly packaging and initiatives that empower farmers and protect rainforests. Oro's single-origin approach ensures that their products are not just high quality but also support the communities and environments where they are grown.
Returning to Chicago, Saylawala brought with him the rich traditions and sustainable practices learned in Nicaragua. Oro Chocolate & Coffee now stands as a bridge between these two worlds, offering a taste of ethical indulgence to their customers. Oro believes true success lies in a harmonious balance between nature, people, and indulgence
Global Girls develops creative, confident, and culturally connected leaders through the performing arts, education, and international experiences. They envision a future where every girl has access to the opportunities, support, and experiences needed to grow into a confident leader, creative thinker, and active contributor to her community and the world.
Global Girls
Through arts, leadership training, and workforce development experiences, participants gain practical skills and exposure that prepare them for academic achievement, career pathways, and meaningful community engagement.