Heaven Gallery celebrates 19 years at 1550 N Milwaukee Avenue by anointing this building as Our House for All People. In this monumental moment, we declare our building a model for equitable community development that thrives on a solidarity economy which prioritizes the arts, its people, and the planet. In the face of displacement, we choose to stay put because we believe in the value of art and are confident in its ability to positively impact populated transit locations. As an archive, this building tells the story of the galleries and the artists who settled in Wicker Park in the 1980s. This is the place that housed iconic art spaces Buddy, Highschool, Ricky Renier and Beret International Gallery. As stakeholders in the arts, we find power in this new posture of refusing cycles of inequity by using a Community Land Trust to take property out of real estate speculation and create permanent affordable space for the arts. Together, we will buy this building to create an art center that will transform the neighborhood and create a lasting asset that will elevate artists and connect our community.

The Legacy of Chicago House music has been described as biblical: a universal inclusive language spoken and understood by all. “House is a spiritual thing, a body thing and soul thing.” We claim Our House with a joyful dance party that calls back to Chicago House music culture featuring DJ Lady D and Sadie Woods. The event will include a silent art auction with works donated by 50 Heaven Gallery artists that include: Marzena Abrahamik, Elana Adler, Xavier Robles Armas, Claire Ashley, Karen Azarnia, Sarah Bastress, Aimée Beaubien, Benjamin Zellmer Bellas, Matthew Brett, Judith Brotman, Stella Brown, Zachary Buchner, Lauren Carter, C.C. Ann Chen, Mel Cook, Robin Dluzen, Meg Duguid, Shir Ende, Hope Esser, Danny Floyd, Brent Garbowski, Nico Gardner, Surbhi Ghosh, Matthew Girson, Jeffrey Grauel, Ellen Hanson, Cameron Harvey, Erin Hayden, Robert Chase Heishman, Paul Hopkin, Alejandro Jimenez- Flores, Annie Kielman, Melissa Leandro, Haerim Lee, Mev Luna, Jordan Martins, Jaclyn Mednicov, Zakkiyyah Najeebah, Huong Ngo, Boris Ostrerov, Josue Pellott, Mike Rea, Yasmin Spiro, Tk Suh, Jacqueline Surdell, Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, Nancy Sanchez Tamayo, Tamara Becerra Valdez, Alejandro Waskavich, Patrick Wilkins, Derrick Woods-Morrow, Sadie Woods, Gwendolyn Zabicki.

With performance by Vogds, a queer-futurist pop-singer/songwriter/producer, fashion designer, and multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago, IL.

Food By: Conrad’s Grill, Big Star, The Tamale Guy

Drinks By: CH Distillery, Revolution Brewing, Garfield’s Beverage, Marz Community Brewing Company

Flowers By: Asrai Garden

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Tags: Aimee Beaubien, Alejandro Jimenez Flores, Alejandro Waskavich, Annie Kielman, Benjamin Zellmer Bellas, Boris Ostrerov, Brent Garbowski, C. C. Ann Chen, Cameron Harvey, Claire Ashley, Danny FLOYD, Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, Derrick Woods-Morrow, Elana Adler, Ellen Hanson, Erin Hayden, Gwendolyn Zabicki, Haerim Lee, Heaven Gallery, Hope Esser, Hương Ngô, Jaclyn Mednicov, Jacqueline Surdell, Jeffrey Grauel, Jordan Martins, Josue Pellott, Judith Brotman, Karen Azarnia, Lauren Carter, Marzena Abrahamik, Matthew Brett, Matthew Girson, Meg Duguid, Mel Cook, Melissa Leandro, Mev Luna, Mike Rea, Nancy Sánchez Tamayo., Nico Gardner, Our House: Heaven Gallery 19th Annual Benefit, Patrick Wilkins, Paul Hopkin, Robert Chase Heishman, Robin Dluzen, Sadie Woods, Sarah Bastress, Shir Ende, Stella Brown, Surbhi Ghosh, Tamara Becerra Valdez, Tk Suh, Vogds, West Town, Xavier Robles Armas, Yasmin Spiro, Zachary Buchner, Zakkiyyah Najeebah