Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation

Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation
Name	Rebuild Foundation
Founder	Theaster Gates
Formed	2009
Type	Nonprofit arts and cultural organization
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Location	South Side, Chicago

Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation is a nonprofit arts and cultural organization founded by artist Theaster Gates in 2009 on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. The organization operates at the intersection of contemporary art, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization, engaging institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and corporations like Ford Motor Company through exhibitions, residencies, and community programs. It has drawn attention from media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Artforum while collaborating with artists and institutions such as Kara Walker, El Anatsui, Kehinde Wiley, Jacolby Satterwhite, and Theaster Gates’s own studio practice connections. The foundation’s projects have been discussed in relation to urban policy debates involving actors like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Jesse Jackson, and organizations such as LISC and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

History

Rebuild began when Theaster Gates purchased and rehabilitated abandoned properties on Chicago’s South Side inspired by precedents like the Whitney Museum of American Art’s engagement with neighborhoods and community-oriented models from the Black Arts Movement and institutions like Project Row Houses. Early interventions included transforming a derelict building into studio and gallery space, paralleling conservation practices from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and restoration techniques used by firms associated with the Getty Conservation Institute. Over time Rebuild expanded to include sites such as the Stony Island Arts Bank, the Dorchester Projects, and the Black Cinema House, while engaging with scholars at Columbia University, curators from the Tate Modern, and collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

Mission and Programs

Rebuild’s mission emphasizes cultural infrastructure, heritage preservation, and economic investment, aligned with frameworks promoted by organizations like the Graham Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Knight Foundation. Programs include artist residencies similar to those at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, apprenticeship programs modeled on practices at the Rhode Island School of Design and Cooper Hewitt, and educational initiatives that partner with universities such as Princeton University and Yale University. The foundation administers public programming with partners like the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, museum collaborators including Do Art Foundation affiliates, and funders like the National Endowment for the Arts and Illinois Arts Council.

Arts and Cultural Projects

Signature projects blur conservation and exhibition practices: the Stony Island Arts Bank houses archival collections and exhibitions that reference institutions like the Chicago Cultural Center, Hyde Park Art Center, and international venues including the Serpentine Galleries and Centre Pompidou. Rebuild has mounted exhibitions and commissions in conversation with artists and institutions such as Theaster Gates’s exhibitions at the Tate Modern, Whitechapel Gallery, and the Guggenheim Museum. The foundation’s programming includes film screenings referencing the histories archived at the Black Cinema House and partnerships with curators from Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Walker Art Center. Community-facing cultural festivals and performances have involved collaborators like Rhiannon Giddens, William Pope.L., and ensembles connected to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Community Development and Housing

Rebuild’s development portfolio includes rehabilitating properties in neighborhoods such as Woodlawn, Hyde Park, and South Shore, engaging housing strategies similar to those of Habitat for Humanity and urban planners influenced by studies from University of Illinois Chicago and Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Projects such as the conversion of vacant buildings into mixed-use spaces reflect policy conversations featuring actors like Cook County officials and nonprofit developers such as Preservation Chicago. Housing initiatives have intersected with legal and financial mechanisms involving entities like Chicago Housing Authority and philanthropic capital from foundations including Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation.

Partnerships and Funding

Rebuild’s work is supported by grants, philanthropic partnerships, earned revenue, and collaborations with cultural institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and international partners like the British Council. Major funders and partners have included the MacArthur Foundation, Graham Foundation, Knight Foundation, Lannan Foundation, and corporate sponsors similar to initiatives supported by Target Corporation and Bank of America. Academic collaborations with University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Yale University support research and residency programs, while municipal partnerships involve the City of Chicago and agencies like the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

Impact and Reception

Rebuild has been cited in urban studies and art history literature alongside case studies involving Project Row Houses, High Line, and regeneration debates in cities like Detroit and New Orleans. Scholarly attention has come from researchers at Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and commentators in outlets such as The New Yorker and Artforum. Critics and community advocates have debated Rebuild’s role in gentrification and cultural investment, with perspectives referencing policymakers like Rahm Emanuel and activists associated with local community groups and national bodies like Americans for the Arts. The foundation’s model has influenced practitioners in cultural infrastructure, preservationists at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and curators at institutions including the Guggenheim Museum and Tate Modern.

Category:Arts organizations based in Chicago Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Category:Historic preservation in the United States