The photograph below was taken in 1992 in front of the founding location for the Little Black Pearl Workshop - an abandoned building at 4200 South Drexel Boulevard. Monica Haslip, Executive Director and Founder of Little Black Pearl, was just 27 years old when embarking on this new venture. She was both full of ambition and preparing to build a new community-based arts organization for youth. This image is a constant reminder that all things are possible and "Dreams really do come true" right here... In Chicago!
And her dream was a succuess. Now, after building an organization nearly 13 years ago, Monica has made her dream larger than life. Deciding to change from a "workshop" to an "Art and Design Center" also meant finding a larger venue to house her students. The workshop has grown from an abandoned building to a beautiful facility filled with color and cultural creativity.
Being a visionary, Monica chose a prime yet highly overlooked location. Monica's vision was to create a "cultural corner", a place that could motivate and improve the Hyde Park/ Kenwood community both visually and culturally.
The New home for Little Black Pearl in Kenwood/Oakland is the 40,000-sq.-ft. Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center. The site is on the corner of 47th and Greenwood Avenue.
An exhisting, two story, white terra-cotta building set on the corner was retained to provide a contrast to the Little Black Pearl 's building.
Captured between the new and old is an enclosed atrium space that the entire project was organized around. Little Black Pearl responds to two conditions of its urban setting: The main community entry is on 47th Street, the old home of Franks Food and Liquor. In addition, there is an opening through a second gap between the new construction and exhisting building on Greenwood Avenue. This is articulated through a cantilevered wall extension and green space. The opening gestures to the Muntu Dance Theatre across the street, and this condition visually connects the two buildings.
The project presents a curved wall inserted through the building to connect the main entry on 47th Street to the Greenwood Street opening. The zinc exterior with wood and acrylic fiberglass interior rises from a low entry point to a raised condition on Greenwood.
The lifted Greenwood end of the curned wall floats above a landscaped sculpted area, which extends from the interior atrium floor. The atriums open area is enclosed by skylight conceived as a folded and glazed surface. The curved wall is mounted with art created by the children within the Art= Smarts Afterschool program.
The 2005 jury of Midwest Construction says, "The Little Black Pearl is an a unique setting and will help the neighborhood. Another great thing is the mission of the Little Black Pearl Organization. It is going to help bring additional vitality to a historic South Side Neighborhood."
