Bank Art Center on Glass Street

What do the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Glass Street have in common? Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Elizabeth Catlett, Joseph Delaney, and Thornton Dial. These are among the renowned African American artists who were represented in the Bank Art Center’s gallery on Glass Street.

The Bank Art Center (BAC) is a pop-up art and culture space for learning, exhibitions, and performance located in one of Glass Street’s most iconic buildings. As part of the National Day of Service, volunteers helped prepare for the project by cleaning the building, constructing gallery walls, and installing lights. In addition to the temporary gallery, BAC featured live jazz music, curator talks, and children’s art activities.

The BAC was presented in collaboration with The Block Art Collective, which includes James McKissick (collector), Shane Morrow (curator), and Carmen Davis (jazz musician). The Block Art Collective hopes to take this concept all over the city – bringing art centers to communities that don’t have access to the arts.

Outcomes:
500 people viewed the exhibit how many people participated
4 musicians performed
18 works of art included in the exhibit
20 volunteers helped see this project through from the beginning
6 kids from the community received music lessons in the space
1 visitor who was also a customer of the bank when it was in operation

Media:
Youtube Video, Bank Arts Center (BAC)
Times Free Press, Black History Month offers art collections at three area sites
Bank Arts Center Website