Alderman Arena to hold meeting on proposed art gallery across from Schurz HS

by BRIAN NADIG

Internationally known artists Nick Cave is seeking to open an art studio and gallery inside a vacant 84-year-old building at 3618 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to Alderman John Arena (45th).

Arena will hold a community meeting on the proposal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at the Schurz High School Auditorium, 3601 N. Milwaukee Ave., which is located across from the proposed gallery. The two-story brick building on the property features several decorative features along the roofline.

The project requires the 5,800-square-foot site be rezoned from M1-1, which is intended primarily for manufacturing use, to C1-1, which would permit both commercial work and residential living, said Arena’s chief of staff Owen Brugh. Cave plans to live on the second floor, Brugh said.

Cave, who is a professor at the School of the Art Institute, is a dancer and performance artist who is well-known for his wearable fabric sculptures, which are called “Soundsuits.” They often resemble bright ceremonial costumes and are made from a variety of materials and objects.