Art & Soul

In the 1960’s Museums began to try to redefine their role from academic Ivory towers representing the dominant culture to institutions open to all. Small community-based Neighborhood Museums grew up, sometimes as outreach arms of the major institutions, sometimes as independent programs. On Chicago’s West Side, in an area hard hit by poverty, uprisings and neglect, the Conservative Vice Lords, Inc., were initiating programs to improve their neighborhood. The Vice Lords worked with Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art to establish ART & SOUL, a community center which offered art classes, exhibits, a small library, a writer’s workshop, and a meeting space for art events.