Author: Dr. Diane Grams "How art communities in Chicago are different"

As we learn about the first group of 100 artists and collectors south of Roosevelt Road, it is equally important that we understand the differences in the art communities in Chicago and what makes them different.

About 6 years ago, I was interviewed by an interesting woman named Diane Grams. As an artist I was happy to see she was interviewing scores of artists and collectors from the south side of Chicago. During my last blog interview with Patric McCoy, she happened to be visiting Patric. She came to celebrate the submission of her edited manuscript of her new book to her publisher University of Chicago about the differences in art communities in Chicago.

Dr. Grams, artist, author and professor is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant where she studied the type of art activities that were taking place in 10 different art communities in Chicago. She later focused her PHD dissertation on 3 neighborhoods (Bronzeville, Pilsen, and Rogers Park). Diane graduated from Loyola University with a PHD in Sociology. Diane currently is a professor at Tulane University where she teaches Sociology of Culture.  Diane is publishing a book in conjunction with the University of Chicago. The 400 page book, called Producing Local Color, studies the art production networks in three neighborhoods in Chicago. Press the arrow below to hear more about "The five ways art plays a role in different Chicago communities"

Video production by Messiah E. Quiano (mequiano@gmail.com) 

To see and hear more about the roles of collectors in Bronzeville and on the South Side and how Art is part of a community  follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d54gZfmOrNA

To see and hear more about how  historically art has been dispersed on the south side and advice on taking the leap of faith to learn more about other cultures and communities in your city follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5yah8UMLdM,

Be an art activist and share this blog with a friend ! 

Artistically Yours,

Andre Guichard