Best Sacred Arts Space: Narrow Bridge Arts Club

On a one-way street in Woodlawn, just a few steps from Washington Park, a building with colorful stained glass windows stands tall. A passerby might mistake the century-old structure for a church—one of its previous uses—before noticing the art flanking its front doors, or reading the little green sign on the building’s steps, spelling out “Narrow Bridge Arts Club” in white chalk. 

In 2020, Chicago-based artist and educator Amber Ginsburg purchased 6028 South Champlain with her husband Tom Ginsburg. She was initially looking for a space to house Project Fielding, a woodworking collective centering women and gender variant individuals, but the abandoned historic house of worship seemed capable of bringing much more to life. 

The space was originally a synagogue called Congregation B’Nai Bezalel. After the congregation relocated to South Shore in 1955, a time of white flight in Woodlawn, the building became home to a series of Christian congregations. Now the building is transforming again, reflecting both the changing demographics of the neighborhood, the declining participation in organized religion, and the growing desire for community spaces. 

Ginsburg had the building renovated using a carbon positive design including geothermal wells, solar panels, on-site rainwater collection, and recycled materials. The former church is now a sustainable multipurpose space with shared artist studios, an upstairs events space, a small garden, and a public exhibition space.

Narrow Bridge aims to provide a creative home for artists who might not have sufficient space to create. “The South Side has had so many kitchen tables that have produced so much incredible art,” said Ginsburg. Still, she explained that many artists lack access to the professional equipment, focused working areas, and exhibition opportunities that can advance their practice. Narrow Bridge offers a shared space to bolster and harness the area’s vibrant arts community. All studio materials are recycled or donated and free for members to use. 

Narrow Bridge regularly exhibits local artists’ work on the building’s exterior, alternating between established and novice artists. Featured artists have included Rose Blouin, Alexy Irving, and Candace Hunter. Currently, Isissia Drake’s work is on display. Her carved and painted wood pieces display individuals sewing, painting, and drilling—a reflection of what happens inside the building’s four walls. 

Members range from professional exhibiting and teaching artists to hobbyists seeking to gain more confidence with equipment like woodworking tools and sewing machines. Instead of traditional top-down workshops or classes, most of the skill shares happen in “circles.” These are member-led sessions where folks offer their expertise freely and exchange knowledge. 

“There’s a real mixture of folks who are craft makers and learning things, and full-time professional artists,” said Ginsburg. “I being in that environment, where there’s also intergenerational learning in terms of skills.” 

Stephan, a Narrow Bridge member with a background in architecture and sustainability, uses the space to experiment with new projects that are functional and beautiful. He’s currently working on a series of solar shades.

“What I’m looking at is how sustainability and art merge into residential or living spaces,” said Stephan. 

Martin, another member at Narrow Bridge, finds the space’s amenities, which include daily 9am-9pm access, reliable internet connection, a communal kitchen, and coworking areas supportive of the many hats he wears as a working creative. 

“I am using the space a lot to co-work and to make. Being able to do that within the same time block, I’m finding to be new and very interesting,” said Martin. 

Members were originally invited directly by the organization’s board members, but after almost two years of operation, Narrow Bridge has started to widen its membership pool. Interested folks are asked to attend a potluck, dessert-luck, or tea time listed on their events calendar. A monthly membership costs $65, and members are also asked to complete three service hours to sustain the space. 

The building is entirely volunteer-run, with the organization’s board, especially Ginsburg, carrying many of its administrative responsibilities. Service is based on an honor system. A list of tasks are written on a blackboard in the entranceway, each labeled with the value they embody and a check box to mark completion: “Kindness: organize wood by size (by the loading dock door)” or “Awe: weed garden.” 

“This is very much a training space for the future—a collective future that is abundant,” said Ginsburg. “Part of that abundance is recognizing how much there is available already, right now.” 

The large wooden doors that open up into the woodshop still have the words “Junior Church” and “Church School” painted on them. They serve as a reminder that sacred things happened here, and that they are still happening. The artists who use those doors to share space, knowledge, and care keep open a threshold between the building’s communal legacy and the creative possibilities for its future.

Narrow Bridge Arts Club, 6028 S. Champlain Ave. $65 monthly membership. Email narrowbridgeproject@gmail.com with inquiries. narrowbridgeartsclub.net.

Jasmine Barnes (she/her) is a multidisciplinary writer, facilitator, and community builder who calls the South Side of Chicago home. Her writing explores culture and identity from a place of intentional witnessing and curiosity.