About Us
URBAN ART RETREAT (U.A.R.) encourages people to learn from each other’s differences while overlapping our similarities through examining issues of violence and inequity in our society. To accomplish this task, U.A.R. offers safe, violence-free space (retreat) where people who do and do not define themselves as artists can share their visions and processes in both art and in daily living as interrelated.
Through programming and events, U.A.R. encourages people to examine how racism, sexism, homophobia effect our lives and how addressing these issues can be a basis for change within our communities. U.A.R. believes that art can be a vehicle for change and that artists serve as community leaders. Therefore, U.A.R. conceptualizes art as inherently political and is firmly committed to utilizing art as a tool toward eliminating oppression.
U.A.R. events, exhibits, and programs are open to being multicultural, providing exposure for art by under represented cultures and communities. U.A.R. does not knowingly permit actions or representations of racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, and abelism within our exhibition or performance spaces, or during any U.A.R. event or activity. Members and volunteers of URBAN ART RETREAT are encouraged to continually educate ourselves to avoid unintentionally permitting such actions or representations to occur.
Our events and programs include artists who identify their work as overtly political, artists who do not identify their work as political, and people who do not identify as artists.
UAR came into existence in the early 1980’s in Portland,Oregon. Over the years, we have provided many programs and events to a wide range of people. While our doors are always open to the public, we have geared many of our projects toward specific populations, such as women, people of color, youths, people with disabilities, artists, activists, survivors of trauma, lesbians, etc.
Since moving to Chicago in 1991, UAR and Chicago Women’s Residence have been offering programming at a variety of sites. Well, we’ve finally found a home! Our headquarters at 1957 S. Spaulding Ave is now open and we feel ready to settle down and settle in.
We like for people around us to appreciate diversity. Urban Art Retreat was created to provide an environment of tolerance and acceptance for everyone and I invite you to join us!
The story of Urban Art Retreat…
UAR was founded by 3 artist-activists in Portland,Oregon in 1984. A musician/songwriter/activist, a visual arts/art therapist/activist, and a guitar playing ceramics artist. They had already been offering various art shows, musical concerts, and more individually, when they banded together to offer an alternative in the art scene.They wanted to offer a small, comfortable, supportive environment for people who felt left out & under-represented.
After several years, one of the founders moved to Chicago and brought the URBAN ART RETREAT here. It was incorporated in Chicago and started an all new life…UAR has now been here for 19 years!
When we first arrived in Chicago, we had space donated
by Suellen Long (no relation) in the building on the
corner of Broadway and Lawrence above the Green Mill.
It was a very large space with many rooms. However, it
had a zillion steps and no elevator. We knew it was
just a matter of time before we moved to a more
physically accessible place.
Yes, before long, we re-located to 1510 W. Berwyn in
the Andersonville neighborhood.
At this location the space was divided into a general
gallery- Emerging Artists Gallery and Liz Long Gallery
with theme shows. We also had a gallery room for
survivor art. We had a lot of support from local
women, the andersonville neighborhood, and from the
businesses along Clark St.
Sophiebella was a very large great dane/saint bernard
dog who came to Chicago with URBAN ART RETREAT from
Portland, Oregon in 1991. She was a great art gallery
dog. Even though she was very large, she never knocked over
anything in the art gallery. She had a very long tail
but it never swished into any art or caused any
damage.The site at 30 E. Adams in the Loop
We stayed at the Berwyn site until we re-located again
to a gallery space downtown just one block from the
Art Institute. This address was 30 E. Adams. While
downtown our gallery emphasis was on women’s art. We
continued an old popular series of art shows we had
always been involved in- Communities of Women Art Show
series. We had many art shows, and activities while at
the Adams site.From Adams, we located to 4429 N. Clifton, the Housing
Resource Center for CHA buildings. It is located just
behind Truman College in Uptown. This was large
donated space on the 2nd floor. We taught art classes
there for 10 years and exhibited art shows on the
massive wall space even longer. Lots of the art shows were art by
children living in C.H.A. buildings. Some of the art shows were for emerging artists.We stayed with the Clifton space but added a space at
4662 N. Broadway as a gallery space for emerging
artists shows. Although we loved the location, the
management would not fix ceiling leaks so we did not
sign a lease there. After much discussion, our board
voted to not rent anything until we thought of a new
strategy. We spent some time with only the Clifton
space before it was decided that we should try to
purchase a building.The hunt was on- to find a building that would house
all our programs including gallery space, art studio
space, and Chicago Women’s Residence, have a large yard, and
provide a living space for at least one staff person.
Up until now, we had been renting 2 different spaces-
a residential one for the women’s residence, and a gallery
space for our art programming.
That is when we found 1957 S. Spaulding Ave.With sophiebella, at 1510 w. Berwyn
A group of supporters at the time the gallery moved from uptown to Andersonville with community support. There, people paid monthly membership so the space on Berwyn off N. Clark St. would succeed.
U.A.R offered art classes for years at Housing Resource Center, 4429 N. Clifton monthly, children attended from nearby C.H.A buildings.
These young art students skipped rope after art on the sidewalk outside.
H.R.C is the same site where we have been showing art on 2nd Floor gallery room.
A CHA art show took place here Nov. 2007
Judith Catlin&D.C.L
2 volunteers from the HRC project at 4429 N. Clifton, they work on grant writing & programs for youth.
“Little Rose”
The youngest volunteer ever at UAR .
Helped with distributing flyers, fundraising, and greeting visitors to art show when we were located at 30 E. Adams, in the loop, one block from the Art Institute.
Rosalee Davis/ gallery greeter
A dedicated volunteer while we were located in loop at 30 E. Adams. We featured a lot of women’s art in various themes through a series of group art shows called C.O.W.A.S.
Our uptown location on corner of Leland and Broadway. Near Lawrence & Broadway and the old Goldblatts building. The last space we rented before we found 1957 S. Spaulding, our new permanent space.
Before we replaced the front fencing with wrought iron. Florence& Harriette in front yard. Mo&Dianna on front porch of our 1957 Spaulding Ave. place!
Sorority Sisters painting the sitting room at UAR’s womens residence.
Sorority sisters painted the living room at Chicago Women’s Residence
Sorority Sisters did the yard work before the apple trees were taken down.
