Third City Studio Opens in North Austin, Anchoring a Budding Arts District

West Side artists have a new space to showcase their creativity with the opening of Third City Studio, a contemporary gallery inside the restored commercial building at 5538 W. North Ave. The block-long structure, distinguished by its early-20th-century brick façade and tall display windows, has been rehabilitated as part of a broader effort to transform North Avenue into a destination for art, design, and community-gathering.

The studio celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 17, featuring works by nine Chicago artists: Prisma Andrade, Maude Atlas, William Baker III, Maya Bentley, Gennavieve Marion, Juan Ramon, Jeff Rivers, Nina Sun, and Caroline Suttlehan. The gallery opening marked the public debut of the North Austin Arts District, an initiative led by developer Jon Womack of Third City Properties.

Third City Studio, a nonprofit organization, will serve as an art gallery, classroom, and event space, with plans for artist residencies and youth programs. Next door, Third City Café, under construction and expected to open next year, will offer coffee, tea, ice cream, and live performances.

“The café is all about having a place where people can come, sit, talk to each other, hang out, and be welcomed inside,” Womack said. “In the summer, kids can get ice cream from a takeout window. In the winter, people can come in for coffee and hot chocolate. We want this to be a gathering place.”

Womack said he and his partners control three large buildings along the block — roughly eight to 10 commercial spaces and nearly 100 apartments — which they hope to fill with creative tenants. 

“We’re trying to attract artists and art organizations to take those spaces,” he said. “It’s a loose definition of art — a tattoo parlor, a dance troupe, a DJ, a recording studio, visual arts — but the goal is to make this a home for artists.” 

The city has invested heavily in the project, with Third City Studio securing a $250,000 Community Development Grant to help cover the $365,000 gallery build-out. Third City secured a $250,000 TIF Purchase-Rehab Granto and a $215,000 Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant to help offset the $500,000 cafe build-out, Block Club Chicago reported.

Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) said the effort reflects her vision for a more vibrant, inclusive North Avenue corridor.

“What we are doing here now is diversifying North Avenue like the city should be,” Mitts said. “It’s no longer just an area where we see folks who aren’t thriving, buildings that are run down, stores that are closed up, and vacancies everywhere. This is an opportunity to revitalize North Avenue.”

City officials from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Department of Planning and Development joined community leaders for the opening.

“This is what DCASE is about,” said DCASE First Deputy Commissioner Kim Grigsby. “In this time and space, with everything going on in the world, if we don’t pour into our community, nobody is going to do it.”

“They worked really hard to revitalize this space,” said Hannah Jones, director of the city’s Bond Better and Small Business Development programs. “It’s a beautiful building — and there are so many beautiful buildings in this neighborhood.”

25th District Commander Federico Andaverde III added that the new development signals positive momentum for public safety and community pride. 

“The more places we open up, the better our community is,” he said. “Our crime is going down, and we’re looking good.”

Among those attending the opening were David Chase and Kimberly Rachal, the co-founders of the Epiphany Center for the Arts. The married couple transformed the former Church of the Epiphany at 201 S. Ashland Ave. on the Near West Side into one of Chicago’s most ambitious multipurpose arts venues. The historic building hosts six art galleries and four live music venues. 

“For years, it was known as the People’s Church because of its outreach to women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community,” Chase said. “The Black Panthers used it to organize and help people.” 

Among the artists featured in the inaugural show was William Baker III, whose piece “The Mental Passage” reimagines the African continent as a decorative rug with red streaks representing the Middle Passage. The face of Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey dominates the southern edge of the work. 

“We took a bunch of items from a home and created narratives through rugs and furniture,” Baker said. “This piece is about Marcus Garvey saying we have to go back to Africa because America ain’t for us.” 

Community leader Malcolm Crawford, the executive director of the African-American Business Networking Association (AAABNA), who helped brand the West Side’s business corridor as Soul City, said the addition of Third City Studio represents the district’s continued evolution.

“Soul City went from being a corridor to the Soul City District, from North Avenue to Madison and Austin to Cicero,” Crawford said. “There’s starting to be a change happening in our community — and it starts with all of us.” 

Learn More about Third City Studio at thirdcitystudio.org.