The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) was recently recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a National Treasure, according to the Chicago Defender. The art center is located at 3831 S. Michigan Ave. in Bronzeville and was originally dedicated in 1941 by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. 

For more than 75 years, the center has served as a home for African-American art, culture, and poetry, hosting artists such as Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Gordon Parks. These artists are among the most iconic and influential in African-American art forms, Brooks being the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. Parks was a Life magazine photographer and filmmaker.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, Masequa Myers, executive director of the center, said the designation will help to increase the center’s public profile. The relationship will provide more resources for the center to increase exposure and boost tourism promotion.

Now the space is an official National Treasure and is one step closer to being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located along a residential block, the building is undergoing renovations and restoration to be more accessible to the public, especially handicapped and disabled. Future plans for the center may include expansion, development of a capital campaign, and other strategic planning to continue growth.

“The South Side Community Arts Center helps to tell an important story about African-American artists at a time when segregation and racism prevented many of them from more fully contributing to the cultural life of the United States,” said Stephanie Meeks, the president and CEO of the National Trust, in a statement.

The National Treasure designation is the NTHP’s highest honor, and there are less than 100 current sites. This will help the center gain not only local exposure but international recognition as well.