In 2013 a group of Pullman artists and neighbors—who for years had been hosting informal arts events in their community — came together in order to create a Far South Side arts space where artists of all ages and mediums could showcase their talent.
That group, PullmanArts, developed a plan to build affordable housing, studio space, and exhibition space in Pullman. It took time to realize, said board president Soren Spicknall: “We’re in a landmark neighborhood—people really care about that history, they really care about the architecture … so we went through a bunch of rounds of community feedback before settling on a design for that new building that referenced many facets of the neighborhood’s past, but wasn’t just trying to recreate it.”
The Pullman Artspace Lofts and Block House Gallery opened in 2021 on Langley and 112th, a quiet residential street. Since then, the volunteer-run gallery space has become a meeting point for artists from throughout the Far South Side, no matter their medium or interest. There’s been a painter reckoning with the neighborhood’s history (Shane-Jani Jackson’s “Pullman Porters & Maids: Invisible Labor, Visible Legacies”), a readymade salvage sculptor (Robert Anderson’s “Resource + Result”), a tribute to comic books, and a group show of quilters from across the South Side.
The opening reception for Hollie Davis’ “Authentic” at Block House Gallery, August 2026.
Block House Gallery also proudly hosts an annual youth vendor market near the end of the school year where neighborhood children in kindergarten through 12th grade are able to show their art, talk about their art with members of the community, and connect with one another.
“This year specifically, [it] was really important to us that we involve as many teens as possible because coverage of teens in the city, especially our Black and Brown teens, has been incredibly negative and biased,” said PullmanArts board member and Roseland native Cristen Brown. “What kids are really trying to do is build community in a landscape that not only doesn’t make it easy for them, but in many cases actively discourages and polices it,” she added.
Both the We Sow We Grow Project and Block House Gallery rely heavily on volunteer support. They each welcome direct action in the form of art purchases and volunteers to ensure their work can continue and they can continue to be gathering spaces for the community.
Visitors take in Hollie Davis’ solo show.
Block House Gallery’s most recent show “Authentic,” featured painter Hollie Davis, and opened August 8. The exhibition brought together two bodies of work: “Icon,” a vibrant collection of portraits of well-known women like bell hooks, Angela Davis, and others who have impacted the artist’s life; and “Where she from?” a collection of paintings inspired by Elizabeth Catlett’s midcentury artworks and the diversity of womanhood within the Black diaspora. Their next exhibition will feature multimedia works from artist Rukiya Dykes that draw from Afrofuturist themes of resilience and reimagination, with a free opening public reception on October 16.
Block House Gallery. 11137 S. Langley Ave. Thursdays, 5–7pm and Saturdays, 12–2pm. pullmanarts.org
Jermaine Nolen is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised on Chicago’s South Side. His work—spanning visual art, writing, and design—is grounded in a deep connection to his community and the legacy of his ancestors.