Lillstreet Art Center


Lillstreet Art Center is an arts center in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is one of the oldest and most successful co-ops in Chicago and its facilities include classrooms for arts education, a gallery, an artist residency program, studio spaces, and a community outreach program.

History

The center began as a ceramics studio in a renovated horse barn on Lillstreet in 1975, by clay salesman, Bruce Robbins. It quickly outgrew its space and, in 2003, Lillstreet relocated to a former gear factory on Ravenswood Avenue, increasing its space from to. The new facility has added metalsmithing & jewelry, painting & drawing, printmaking, textiles, glass, and digital arts & photography.
Lillstreet also houses First Slice Pie Café whose proceeds help fund First Slice which provides more than 300 lunches to people in need. First Slice also benefits from the annual Empty Bowls event which is hosted at Lillstreet and supported by Lillstreet potters who contribute bowls to the event.
In 2012, a green roof was installed at the center. It was designed as a gravel path with plants on either side. In 2015, Lillstreet celebrated its 40th year in business.

Gallery exhibitions

Exhibitions at the Lillstreet Art Center include,