Blanc Gallery

Blanc Gallery A Culture of Conversation In its heyday, Bronzeville was home to the cream of Chicago’s African American society. Now Mr.

In the forefront of the neighborhood’s many cultural institutions, artists, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs engaged in a robust dialogue on matters of importance to the community. Recent years have seen a powerful resurgence of this creative energy, with art galleries, restaurants, schools, theaters and event facilities providing vital new public forums. Cliff Rome, proprietor of Bronzeville’s Pa

rkway Ballroom, is committed to rekindling this Culture of Conversation. Thousands have gathered at the Parkway for art exhibits, fashion events, literary readings, dance competitions, and film premieres. Rome introduces Blanc, a fine art gallery, to Bronzeville. Blanc’s bold mission is to engage African Americans and all Chicagoans through the arts and to ignite dialogue on issues of spiritual, political and social significance. Four times a year Blanc showcases one artist in an exploration of a compelling theme. The gallery also fosters a wide-reaching exchange of ideas through its multi-faceted approach:

· “Speak Easy”: Hosting diverse events for the public—openings, artist talks, panel discussions.

· “Do Well/Do Good”: Sponsoring events for non-profit agencies whose work intersects with the concerns of the artists. Each cycle, Blanc identifies two local non-profits and highlights their missions, helping them to raise awareness and funding.

· “Do Right/Do Good”: Recruiting corporate sponsors for each cycle. This gives emerging artists access to the sometimes-impenetrable world of commerce, and business people an opportunity to support the arts along with the work of the not-for-profit community.

· Private Rental: Blanc is also available for rental by the public; the art on its walls creates a vibrant and engaging ambience for any private event. Blanc: a center for ideas and a meeting place for people…a Culture of Conversation

06/24/2026

Really excited to continue making space for FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT TILL AT 85, curated by Raymond A. Thomas.

This Saturday, June 27, from 3-6pm we'll be hosting an artist talk featuring some of the 13 artists who are participating in the show. The talk will be hosted by celebrated journalist LeeAnn Trotter and will open a space for the artists to discuss the art-making process, the importance of elevating the Till family legacy in today's movement times, and the importance of historical memory, resistance, and liberation.

We look forward to inviting you into the space and hope that this discussion will open up new avenues and reflections on the work that has been made for this exhibition.

Even if you're unable to attend the artist talk, we'll be open from 11-3pm on Sunday, June 28 for you to take time with the exhibition itself.

The link to RSVP for the talk is in our bio.

We'll see you this weekend.

In partnership with The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute.

Participating artists:
.pendleton

We've had an incredible response to our third show of the year, "From Memory to Movement: Emmett Till at 85", curated by...
06/18/2026

We've had an incredible response to our third show of the year, "From Memory to Movement: Emmett Till at 85", curated by Raymond A. Thomas and featuring 13 incredible Chicago-based or born artists across a range of mediums.

If you haven't seen the show yet, or want to come back to cake it all in, we'll be open tomorrow evening, Friday, June 19, for the Bronzeville Trolley Tour from 6-9pm. This is the first one of the season and it's always a beautiful evening full of people who are excited and interested by all the artistic offerings that Bronzeville has to offer.

If you're not around tomorrow evening we're also open on both Saturday and Sunday, June 20 + 21, from 11-3pm.

See you sometime over the next three days.

Photos by Joshua Taylor

Next Sunday, June 14, from 4-9pm we got something special for you on the courtyard at Blanc! Alex Rita debuts Calm Root...
06/04/2026

Next Sunday, June 14, from 4-9pm we got something special for you on the courtyard at Blanc!

Alex Rita debuts Calm Roots in Chicago with an evening gathering of live performances in collaboration with International Anthem and Sonorous Somatics at Blanc Gallery, generously supported by Lumpen Radio.

The programme features Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and poet Tomin alongside Chicago flutist and producer BSA Gold, whose practices both bridge acoustic instrumentation with expansive, spiritual and exploratory approaches to sound. Alex Rita is also joined by longtime collaborator, poet and anadisciplinary artist, Rohan Ayinde.

The 11th edition of 'Sonorous Somatics: The Worlds Beyond', is in conversation with our most recent exhibition, FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85, which explores the lasting and powerful legacy of Emmett Till not only as an act of remembrance, but as a call towards collective reflection and continued movement.

We can't wait to introduce you to these beautiful musicians.

There will be food and non-alcoholic drinks on site for sale too.

To find out more about everyone involved and to get your tickets, follow the link in our bio.

Tickets are $15 or Pay what you can for Low/No waged folk.

06/03/2026

This Friday, June 5, from 6-9pm we open our next exhibition in partnership with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute:

FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85, is a powerful group exhibition commemorating what would have been the 85th birthday of Emmett Till (b. July 25, 1941).

Curated by artist and cultural worker Raymond A. Thomas, the exhibition brings together a distinguished roster of Black Chicago-bred and Chicago-based contemporary artists whose works reflect on memory, identity, resistance, grief, and liberation.FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85 serves not only as an act of remembrance, but as a call toward collective reflection and continued movement. Through painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, participating artists reexamine the story of Emmett Till beyond martyrdom, asking urgent questions about Black life, inheritance, historical memory, and the future of justice in America.

Participating artists include: Paul Branton, Roger Carter, Gerald Griffin, Candace Hunter, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Bryant Lamont, John Caleb Pendleton, Max Sansing, Norman Teague, Raymond A. Thomas, Bernard Williams, and Kevin (WAK) Williams.

📽️:

See you on Friday!
Link for rsvp in bio.

EXHIBITION OPENING: NEXT FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 6-9PM In partnership with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, we a...
05/26/2026

EXHIBITION OPENING: NEXT FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 6-9PM

In partnership with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, we are honoured and proud to present

FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85,

A powerful group exhibition commemorating what would have been the 85th birthday of Emmett Till (b. July 25, 1941).

Curated by artist and cultural worker Raymond A. Thomas, the exhibition brings together a distinguished roster of Black Chicago-bred and Chicago-based contemporary artists whose works reflect on memory, identity, resistance, grief, and liberation.

Opening June 5, 2026, the exhibition serves not only as an act of remembrance, but as a call toward collective reflection and continued movement. Through painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, participating artists reexamine the story of Emmett Till beyond martyrdom, asking urgent questions about Black life, inheritance, historical memory, and the future of justice in America.

Featuring the work of:
Paul Branton (), Roger Carter (), Gerald Griffin (), Candace Hunter (), Tonika Lewis Johnson (), Bryant Lamont (), John Caleb Pendleton (.pendleton), Max Sansing (), Norman Teague (), Raymond A. Thomas (), Bernard Williams () and Kevin (WAK) Williams ().

05/20/2026

You got two more opportunities to see this beautiful show -

Tomorrow evening for the screening of Kooley High

AND

SATURDAY FROM 11-3PM for our closing reception with an artist talk, community games and music. We bringing vibes and good energy to close out this show; a special one. A reflection on the legacy and continuing importance of Chicago's Black communities and the various ways they have shaped and determined the heartbeat of this city.

Two more opportunities. Don't miss out.

I Used to Live in Chicago, curated by
and featuring the work of , , , , and

And you know what it is. Video, as ever, whipped together by our maestro

❤️

Come by tomorrow at 1.30pm for Sonorous Somatics 010.And then on Sunday we have Open Hours from 11-3pm.
05/08/2026

Come by tomorrow at 1.30pm for Sonorous Somatics 010.

And then on Sunday we have Open Hours from 11-3pm.

This Saturday, May 9, at 1.30pm we're back with Sonorous Somatics 010 presented by the one and only .gold For this insta...
05/04/2026

This Saturday, May 9, at 1.30pm we're back with Sonorous Somatics 010 presented by the one and only .gold

For this installment, BSA has invited Ernest Dawkins - a longtime fixture in Chicago's music landscape - who, in dialogue with the New Horizon Quartet, will perform a meditation on our current exhibition, "I Used to Live in Chicago."

Curated by Anefertiti Bowman, the exhibition brings together leading contemporary artists , , and , alongside elder Chicago artists , , & . Together, their work forms a layered, intergenerational dialogue rooted in lived experience, cultural memory, and the evolving realities of the city.

RSVP via the link in our bio.

We can't wait to see you there.

Just a little reminder that we'll be open tomorrow, Saturday May 2nd, from 11-3pm. If you haven't come through to see ou...
05/01/2026

Just a little reminder that we'll be open tomorrow, Saturday May 2nd, from 11-3pm.

If you haven't come through to see our latest exhibition, I Used to Live in Chicago, this is your next opportunity to do so. Curated by and featuring work by , , , , , and

Then, on Sunday May 3, join us for a vibrant afternoon of art, history and conversation with photographers Diana Solís and Patric McCoy, who will be in conversation about their decades-long work documenting Chicago's q***r histories - from Solís's powerful images of Latinx, feminist and LGBTQ+ movements in Pilsen to McCoy's iconic portraits of Black gay life captured during his 1980s bike rides across the city. Presented by the as part of the public program running alongside their current show OUT HERE.

04/24/2026

Two weeks ago tomorrow we opened our doors to Exhibition 02 of our 2026 exhibition program.

I Used to Live in Chicago is a multidisciplinary exhibition exploring memory, displacement, and cultural resilience across Chicago's historically Black neighborhoods. It's a love letter and a retrospective. It gestures towards a Chicago many remember not as perfect, but as deeply alive, and rooted in connection, creativity, and possibility.

Curated by and featuring the wok of , , , , , and this is not a show to miss.

This weekend we'll be open from 11-3pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Come through. It's a beautiful show and it really places you in the breadth of memories and stories that connect us to this city.

Video made by our gallery manager, the wizard

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4445 S King Drive
Chicago, IL
60653

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1pm - 3pm

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+17733734320

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