A Reader's Paradise

You will find this remarkable library situated in the South Side of Chicago, near the site of the future Obama Library. Artist Theaster Gates saved this early 20th century structure, the former Stony Island Trust Bank, from demolition to create this Chicago landmark, the Stony Island Arts Bank. Gates bought the building for $1 from Chicago with the vision of restoring it as a cultural hub—a place for free arts and cultural programming. To me, this room was by far the most impressive. The library is full of items from John H. Johnson, the founding publisher Ebony and Jet magazine, a the record collection from DJ Frankie Knuckles, and more. To preserve a connection to the history of the building, the bank's peeling paint and damaged ceiling tiles have been preserved as is. It's beautiful to see this shuttered bank transformed into an institution celebrating black artists, a repository for African American history, and a place where people can really feel the palpable history of the South Side.