Genita Robinson was able to spend a great day at Little Black Pearl last December. Read more about her takeaways and experience below.
I am a little late in posting this but I got spend a joyful day in December at Little Black Pearl, as part of the work I was doing with IFF (CDFI)'s Chicago Cultural Treasures initiative. (IFF has just opened applications for Culture Forward Chicago, a final round of funding under Chicago's Cultural Treasures:?apply.iff.org.) It was amazing to see all that all Executive Director Monica Halsip has created. My biggest takeaway was reinforcement of the need to center community in plans and goals. Monica talked about how potential funders would admonish her to "pick a lane." LBP's lane is providing for their community what the community wants and needs through arts education for youth and adults, event space, a cafe, recording studios, co-working space, and an industrial kitchen partnering with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
