Arts Professional Story: Ray Yang, Hyde Park Art Center

The Hyde Park Art Center

When the Hyde Park Art Center opened its new space in April of 2006, there were several new additions to the organization. We added digital classes, more exhibition and classroom space, and an 80 foot digital projection facade, but one of the major changes was its new resource center and gathering space, 4833 rph.

Named for the home of longtime HPAC supporter and board member, Ruth Horwich, the space sought to capture the spirit of community and creativity that Ruth fostered throughout the Hyde Park Art Center’s history. Ruth always welcomed creative individuals to her home and provided innovative minds with a space to grow. 4833 rph seeks to recreate that culture of community which Ruth made a part of the Art Center. In order to honor her efforts, and to do so in a fun and unexpected way, the resource center was christened with Ruth’s house number and initials.

The mission of 4833 rph is to cultivate and foster the creative community of Chicago. Beginning with HPAC’s own roster of artists and students, and extending outward into the city, 4833 operates in a complementary capacity to aid both the exhibitions and school programs in realizing their fully integrated potential with other facets of the Art Center.

The space serves as a connector for the Art Center’s programs and functions as a multi-purpose community and cultural nexus that leverages the resources of community-based organizations. By building on our history of effective collaborations with other cultural institutions the Art Center and 4833 rph are able to facilitate creative interactions between students, artists, educators, families, youth, and community members from across the city.

I run the space and coordinate/facilitate many of the Art Center’s programs, usually in collaboration with other staff or artists. What this basically means is that I do a little bit of everything at the Art Center. Running 4833 may involve setting up the logistics of a talk, finding artists to work with on projects at the Art Center, leading a school group tour, or making sure a family day program runs smoothly. Among the many programs that are hosted or fall under the purview of 4833 are:

• TalkingPoint– The Art Center’s unique take on the artist talk. Focused more on discussion and building community rather than taking on the format of a traditional lecture or talk, TalkingPoint brings a featured artist to the Art Center to share with our community. Curated by artist and activist Dan S Wang, the program has ranged from intimate discussions to large group collaborations, and at times has sparked passionate dialogue and emotion. The one constant during its run? Beer and pizza for the participants. As the Art Center’s Executive Director, Chuck Thurow, often notes, food and creativity are linked, and a full stomach never hurts the conversation. TalkingPoints take place in 4833 one Monday evening each month.

• Youth Art Board – With classes for adults and kids, the gap in Art Center educational programming was teens. So one of the Art Center’s major goals has been to connect with this audience and create programs that draw them here. Starting small, we employed youth as camp assistants during our summer Creativity Camps. Then through a partnership with Columbia College, teens were able to take Black and White Photography and Digital Photography classes here at the Art Center, for Columbia College credit. As we established the Art Center as a teen friendly space, we moved forward with more extensive program plans. Now, working with the Art Center’s Director of Education, Blake Bradford, we have launched a Hyde Park Youth Art Board, which will provide feedback and ideas for programs that appeal to teens. Keep an eye out for their projects on the web and at the Art Center.

• Families– One of the Art Center’s major initiatives since it moved into its new space has been building a stronger relationship with south side families. To better meet the needs of this group, the Art Center turned to the experts: parents. By creating a Family Advisory Committee (FAC), the Art Center was able to go to the source to learn how they could best serve families, and specifically south siders. This group has responded with one of the Art Center’s most successful programs, Second Sundays, a free drop-in program for families to come together at the Art Center and participate in workshops and performances. The second Sunday of every month, families take over the Art Center and fill the building with an amazing energy and enthusiasm.

• Community groups – When 4833 was created, it was envisioned as a space where Art Center students, teachers, and artists could come together and interact. And while it has continually worked towards accomplishing this goal, it has also become a hub for the south side community at large. During its existence, it has played host to community organizations both large (University of Chicago) and small (weekly knitting groups), and through these interactions, connected the Art Center’s exhibitions and education offerings to new visitors. While this is a goal of the entire Art Center, 4833 exemplifies this desire to become a true community space.

This is just a slice of 4833 programming, and new collaborations and projects are being created each day. Perhaps the greatest thing that can be said of 4833 and the Hyde Park Art Center is its continual spirit of “saying yes”. When artists, families, teachers, community members, and just about anyone else walks through our doors, we welcome them with an attitude of possibility. The sense that anything can be accomplished, and that anyone who comes to us with an idea has the chance to make it happen here at the Hyde Park Art Center. For more information about the Hyde Park Art Center, visit: www.hydeparkart.org, or check out the 4833 rph page at: www.hydeparkart.org/4833. The Hyde Park Art Center is located at 5020 S. Cornell Ave, and open 7 days a week.

Ray Yang is the Program Director of 4833 rph, the Art Resource Center at the Hyde Park Art Center. He is responsible for managing the Art Center’s resource and gathering space, and designing and implementing a diverse array of creative programs and resources for the Art Center, bridging exhibition and educational programming. He was previously the Teen Council Coordinator at the Chicago Historical Society (now the Chicago History Museum) and worked with a group of 15 teens on the Teen Chicago exhibition. Ray also teaches part-time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). He earned BA’s in Biology and Studio Art from Brown University, and after working in publishing and graphic design, moved to Chicago in 2001 for graduate school where he received an MA in Art Education from SAIC. Ray is also an artist, specializing in painting and illustration. He lives in Albany Park on the North Side of Chicago with his wife and son.