The Englewood Arts Collective makes space for South Side artists

JoVonna Jackson, an Englewood mosaic artist, sat in a booth at Kusanya Cafe on Green and 69th street. Jackson took off her glasses and began to scrape off the drops of glue that recently dried on them. Across from her, Bronzeville photographer Glenn Willoughby set his Nikon camera on the booth’s table.

Jackson, 38, and Willoughby, 39, along with six additional artists, make up the passionateEnglewood Arts Collective (EAC) team.

Consisting of both adults and students, the EAC connects artists to the art they want to pursue.

The EAC’s supportive network, along with connections throughout Chicago’s landscape, holdsopportunities to confidently build artistic abilities in and beyond South Side neighborhoods.Some of the EAC’s work can be found around the neighborhood, as well as at city sites including the Chicago Food Depository and soon, the Shedd Aquarium.

In 2017, Tonika Lewis Johnson, the EAC’s lead cofounder, organized a group of local artists, including Jackson and Willoughby, to positively increase the potential of arts in her neighborhood. For eight years, the EAC has worked to amplify artists' voices to explore art in their communities.

“Our name is being said in the right rooms,” Willoughby said.

When asked how the organization connects with new members, Jackson said the “EAC energy” is just one that many feel comfortable joining. “We all have a common understanding of building others up,” Jackson said.

The EAC’s most prideful work stems from “feeding off each other,” Jackson said. The collective looks to “find someone's skills,” creating paths for pottery, mosaics, photography and painting that members can expand in, Willoughby said.

“I don't think anyone is like [the EAC],” Willoughby said. The organization transformed in away that neither thought it would. “Sometimes, we have to pinch ourselves.”

When the city rented out a temporary storefront for the EAC, all that the organization needed todo was “activate the space.” According to Willoughby, when the right minds are placed in the same room, they begin to “change the narrative” of South Side stereotypes.

For Jackson, joining the EAC was life-changing: “As I got older, [my art] became something I was proud of.” Jackson, whose mosaic works can be spotted around Chicago, including Magnificent Mile, mentions how art is her sanctuary.

“Home is where the art is,” Jackson said. “The EAC has helped give my work beautiful value.”

For Willoughby, the collective allows him to maximize connections with other artists. The concept of “relatability” is a pillar of the EAC model, which emphasizes the need to build direct relationships with Englewood's community members. This means attending events and creating
surveys to ask what residents hope to see around the neighborhood.

“It’s all about capturing people in the right moment,” Willoughby said.

The EAC creates engaging events, such as Englewood Music Fest, and participates in “pop-ups” around neighboring organizations, including Growing Home and the Hamilton Park Community Center, Jackson said. Spreading the EAC message creates mutual trust between its leaders and the community.

With “meticulous” plans for the EAC, including finding a permanent space for its collaboration, the organization continues to project the ongoing significance of unifying artistic minds, Willoughby said.

“Art is how we communicate,” Jackson said.