Bronzeville leaders report $75 million raised for nine cultural projects

A group of eight community leaders says it has raised $75 million to support construction and redevelopment at nine cultural sites in Bronzeville. Working as the Bronzeville Legacy Collective, the group aims to strengthen the neighborhood’s arts institutions and draw more visitors to the South Side.

The projects span music, dance, theater, food and neighborhood history. They include the National Museum of Gospel Music, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House, the Muddy Waters MOJO Museum, Bronzeville Cookin’, the Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities, a new home for Definition Theatre, The Forum, the South Side Community Art Center and the proposed Bronzeville Trail.

The collective’s long-term fundraising target is $250 million. That figure includes $100 million for the trail, which is planned to run from 40th and Federal streets to 41st Street and Lake Park Avenue by 2034. The recreational route would add an outdoor component to an initiative otherwise centered largely on cultural buildings and gathering spaces.

Two projects have nearer-term milestones. The South Side Community Art Center is expected to reopen an expanded facility at 3831 S. Michigan Ave. in spring 2027. The new Deeply Rooted Center at 5339 S. State St. is planned for completion by the end of 2027. Alongside its effort to build a $50 million capital fund, the collective is seeking $5 million over the next several months for a starter fund, with a portion intended to help those two projects reach their financial goals.

To introduce potential supporters to the work, the group recently organized a bus tour that included a visit to the garden outside Muddy Waters’ home, a look at plans for Bronzeville Cookin’ and lunch with live ragtime music at Forum Hall. The nearly 130-year-old performance space is part of The Forum complex at 318-328 E. 43rd St. Participants included representatives of philanthropic organizations and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, as well as Ald. Pat Dowell.

Founded in 2023, the collective brings together projects within the federally designated Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area. Illinois also designated Bronzeville a cultural district in 2023. The MacArthur Foundation supplied the collective’s first grant, a $25,000 contribution. Organizers see the coordinated investment as a way to support local economic activity through arts and tourism while expanding the places where residents can experience Black culture.