Entry No. 83 — the Chicago file — filed under: archive

Stony Island Arts Bank

Artist Theaster Gates rescued a derelict 1923 South Shore bank and filled it with rescued single-subject archives under one roof: the Johnson Publishing (Ebony/Jet) research library, house-music pioneer Frankie Knuckles' personal record collection, and Edward J. Williams's trove of "negrobilia."

The move: Browse shelves of Black publishing and house-music history under a salvaged marble staircase, then settle into the new high-tea-meets-cocktail-bar concept in the same reading room, a few blocks from the Obama Presidential Center.

📍 South Shore
💸 $
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 6760 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60649

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

#archive #house-music #frankie-knuckles #johnson-publishing #south-side #theaster-gates

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: rebuild-foundation.org · news.wttw.com · chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org

last checked: 2026-07-19