Union Street Gallery

History

Union Street Gallery was founded in 1995 as a working Arts Incubator and Gallery as part of a small business incubation project, subsidized by the Chicago Southland Economic Development. In 1998, the first Gallery Director resigned and the Studio Artists stepped in and began to develop the artistic programming, recognizing the gallery’s potential to be a resource for artists all over the nation, and an arts resource for Chicago Heights and the region south of Chicago. The scope of the Gallery increased with the addition of national juried arts exhibitions and educational programming such as field trips and classes.

In 2004, the Chicago Southland Economic Development lost most of its funding and shut down the project, including Union Street Gallery. The artists realized the importance and positive impact of the gallery on the community and worked together to keep Union Street Gallery functioning.

In 2005, Union Street Gallery became a not-for profit 501(c)3 corporation and a standalone visual arts agency incubating 16 artists.

Later in 2005, Studio Artists and the Board of Directors secured the building in Chicago Heights with the help of local government officials. The three-story historic landmark building was rehabilitated and retrofitted specifically for use as a gallery and artists’ studio space, opening in 2006 with two floors of gallery space and a third floor of artists studios inhabited by a working artists’ collaborative. The artists remained in control of the artistic programming.

Thanks to increased funding, in the summer of 2010 the gallery hosted its first ever curated solo exhibits featuring the art of internationaly recognized painter Nina Weiss and local photographer John Spomar. The purpose of these exhibits was to introduce the community to the art of both a well known internationally recognized artsit and a well known local artist that the community otherwise may not have ever been exposed to.

Today Union Street Gallery is the premier arts resource for the Chicago southland serving 3000 people per year through diverse art exhibits, classes and workshops, and art outreach projects. There are 16 studio artists, 20 guild artists, and 30 volunteers, all at varying ages and ethnicities. The Gallery coninues to grow and establish itself as a sustainable arts and culture resource for the south subrubs.

Read the below article on the history of 1527 Otto Blvd published in the December 2010 issue of Historic Illinois by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

After a 32 year career with AT&T and service in the US Army, Don Millon fulfilled his dream

to become a full-time artist. Don came to Union Street Gallery in 1997 as one of the first Studio Artists. There he found his niche in portrait work. He created life-like renderings in pen

& ink, colored pencil, and pastel, focusing on pet portraits, renderings of animals in the wild, custom cars and trucks, and home & commercial properties. As a professioanl artist, Don was very active in the emerging artists' cooperative as Union Street began to separate from her parent organization. He continued his interest in Union Street while living briefly in Michigan, and upon his return to Illinois. Don will be fondly remembered and missed by his fellow artists at

As a fitting gesture to Don’s work at Union Street, a Memorial Fund has been established in his name. If you are interested in giving toward this fund please contact Jessica at

Mission
Union Street Gallery fosters creative expression and appreciation for the arts through diverse exhibits in a vibrant gallery space; accessibility to open studios and a working artist collective; and engaging classes, workshops and outreach activities, in order to provide a positive and sustainable cultural presence in the community.

Vision
Union Street Gallery & Studios is open to all artists, emerging, mid-career and established. The purpose is to support artists by providing a professional environment for the development of creative expression, exhibition opportunities, promotion, and art with private, business, and educational communities to enhance awareness and education of the arts and culture.

Friends of Union Street Gallery
Friends of Union Street Gallery provide the Gallery and with needed volunteers for exhibitions, receptions, docent led gallery tours, and much more. Come and get involved!