Southland Arts is an organization that seeks to enrich the lives of our community. Southland Arts promotes the Southern Suburbs as a vibrant family-friendly destination and encourages connection, knowledge exchange, and resource-sharing among arts, municipalities, and businesses.
SOUTHLAND ARTS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
Each year, the Center for Performing Arts presents more than 50 performances offering diverse, high-quality, and affordable cultural and arts education experiences to more than 60,000 people. The Center offers national touring acts, Chicago-based artists, and community and academic theatre. Whatever your cultural tastes, we have something for you.
Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484
708-235-2222
www.centertickets.net
Christopher Art Gallery at Praire State College
Named for its generous donors, Bob and Marty Christopher, the Christopher Art Gallery is located on the main campus of Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. The gallery hosts six to eight shows per year, featuring local, regional, and national artists, as well as student works. Gallery Director, Beth Shadur, recommends programming and often acts as curator for shows.
Christopher Art Gallery at Prairie State College
202 S. Halsted Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
(708) 709-3500
https://prairiestate.edu/christopher-art-gallery/
Crete Creative Gallery & School is a not-for-profit space designed and dedicated to showcasing artists both near and far. Culture and the arts should be available to everyone. Talent is not reserved for big cities, neither is a love, an interest, or a passion for the arts.
Crete Creative Gallery & School
1390 Main Street - Arbor House
Crete, IL 60417
https://www.cretecreative.com
Flossmoor Sculpture Garden
World-class works of art are installed in the village square, along charming residential streets, and in the Village’s award-winning Flossmoor Garden and Sculpture Park, which was designed by noted Chicago landscape architect Peter Lindsay Schaudt.
The Flossmoor Sculpture Gardens program was established in 1998 through private donations and an Illinois FIRST grant. Since that time, the Flossmoor Village Board and the Flossmoor Public Art Commission have maintained their vision of making Flossmoor home to a rotating exhibit of monumental sculpture in garden settings.
Flossmoor Sculpture Garden
Flossmoor Village Hall
2800 Flossmoor Road
Flossmoor, Il 60422
708-798-2300
https://www.artflossmoor.com
Frankfort Arts Association
Frankfort Arts Association is dedicated to enhancing the community through the creation, education, promotion, and appreciation of the arts. FAA is working to provide a creative place within the community where artists can easily gather together for enrichment, exploration, and inspiration.
Frankfort Arts Association
P.O. Box 408
Frankfort, IL 60423-0408
www.frankfortartsassociation.org
Freedom Hall Nathan Manilow Theatre has presented the performance arts since the opening of Park Forest’s cultural arts center in 1976. The Nathan Manilow Theatre, which has a capacity of 287 patrons, has presented a multitude of events in all genres. For over three decades, the variety of entertainment has Nathan Manilow Theatre included Tom Dreesen, C.J. Chenier, The National Theatre of the Deaf, The Chicago City Ballet, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Tom Chapin, Corky Siegel, George Winston, The Second City Touring Company, John Houseman, Peter Mayer, Vincent Price, and many other top-billings.
Freedom Hall
410 Lakewood Boulevard
Park Forest, IL 60466
708.747.0580
https://freedomhall.org
Grande Prairie Choral Arts is a not-for-profit organization in the Chicago Southland dedicated to providing excellent choral music and to promoting and furthering vocal and choral music education. Performance groups include the Grande Prairie Singers, an auditioned mixed choir for singers over the age of sixteen. The organization also maintains various ensembles available for outreach in the community.
Grande Prairie Choral Arts
266 Somonauk
Park Forest, IL 60466
708.481.8684
http://grandeprairiechoral.org
Now entering its 40th season, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) is the largest performing arts organization in Chicago’s Southland providing professional orchestral music of beauty and excellence to the region. The IPO’s repertoire ranges from Baroque and Classical masterpieces to world premieres and modern favorites.
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra
377 Artists Walk
Park Forest, IL 60466
708.481.7774
http://ipomusic.org
Charles Lotton, with his sons Daniel & David and our studio artist Scott Bayless, create hand-blown, one-of-a-kind works of glass art. They create beautiful hand-blown vases, bowls, sculptures, paperweights, perfume bottles, lamps, pendant lighting as well as chandeliers. The business began in 1970 when Charles began teaching himself the art of glassblowing in his backyard. The chemistry of Charles' glass is unique to Lotton Glass. Lotton Art Glass is one of the very few studios in the world to start with elements of the earth like sand, soda ash, lime, borax, zinc, and metals resulting in some of the most breathtaking colors that you will ever see.
Lotton Art Glass Gallery & Studio
24760 S County Line
Crete, IL 60417
708-672-1400
www.lottonartglass.com
The Midwest Motet Society is a chamber choir, based in the southern suburbs of Chicago. There is a whole repertoire of music not usually performed in our community and we believe it should be. The music we perform is a very specific kind–written for only a few voices on a part, such as madrigals and motets and even Bach Cantatas. Brahms wrote music for vocal quartets and piano and we have performed two of those works. With only a few voices on a part, each person and their voice is very important. There is a greater opportunity to really know the other singers and to react to them musically. As a chamber choir, we usually perform in smaller venues, such as churches or people’s homes. There is intimacy not only with each other in our ensemble, but with our audience.
The Midwest Motet Society
P.O. Box 706
Flossmoor, IL 60422
(708) 206-0380
www.midwestmotet.org
Marie Grass Amenta, Founder, and Music Director
Intimate Settings, Inspired Singing
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, affectionately called "theNate" is a collection of 29 masterworks of large-scale sculpture situated within 100 acres of prairie landscape. This “museum-in-the-prairie” is open for public viewing 365 days a year and is free of charge. The Park provides programs for adults and children that integrate art and nature. Although it is located on the campus of Governors State University, it was founded and is maintained through grants and donations from businesses and individuals.
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484
708-534-4021
http://www.govst.edu/sculpture/
Southland Jazz Ensemble at Prairie State College
The Southland Jazz Ensemble is a group of talented jazz musicians that perform at Prairie State's Jazz Fest and other Southland events.
Southland Jazz Ensemble at Prairie State College
202 S. Halsted Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
(708) 709-3500
https://prairiestate.edu/christopher-art-gallery/
The South Holland Master Chorale was the proud recipient of the 2010 South Suburban Small Business Association Summit Award for Creative Arts. Our 100+ South Holland Master Chorale members have a long history as one of the premiere singing ensembles of the Chicago Southland. Known for many years throughout the Chicago South Suburban and Northwest Indiana region as the South Suburban Chorale, the South Holland Master Chorale still provides the area with the finest in choral literature performance.
South Holland Master Chorale
16226 Wausau Avenue
South Holland, IL 60473
708.210.2913
http://southhollandmasterchorale.org
The Spotlight Performance Academy is the premier space for performers of all ages in the south suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana to hone their craft and showcase their talents through a variety of group and individual education and performance opportunities. Spotlight encompasses Miss Angie's Music Makers, the Bel Canto family of choirs (Children's Choir, Youth Choir, Concert Choir, and Community Choir), Improv classes for all ages (in partnership with South of Chi), summer Musical Theater camp, songwriting workshops, and more. Scholarships and tuition assistance are available to make the arts accessible to all who want to participate.
Spotlight Performance Academy
spotlightperformanceacademy@gmail.com
708.269.5550
spotlightperformanceacademy.org
For over 50 years, Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra has brought meaningful, quality musical experiences to its members. We welcome students at any level - from absolute beginner to advanced - to improve their skills and hone their musicianship through participation in ensembles designed to let them learn, rehearse, and perform with their peers. There are three major concerts every season plus other performance and educational opportunities throughout the year. Financial aid and scholarships are available to qualified students.
Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra
PO Box 662
Flossmoor, IL 60422
708-406-5826
suburbanyouthsymphony.org
Tall Grass Arts Association is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote public education and appreciation of the arts; encourage artists, and support high-quality art.
The Association operates an exhibition gallery scheduling seven exhibits a year and a gift shop showcasing works made by its juried artists. Tall Grass also operates a school for both children and adults and hosts a juried Art Fair in September in DownTown Park Forest.
Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 4 pm.
Tall Grass Arts Association
367 Artists Walk
Park Forest, IL 60466
708-748-3377
https://www.tallgrassarts.org/
"Bringing Broadway to the South Suburbs since 1931"
The Drama Group, still one of the only volunteer theatre groups, is well-known and well-respected throughout the Chicagoland area. Our productions have been compared to the quality of those downtown and on Broadway.
As The Drama Group works its way toward its first 100 years, we continue to provide quality theatre at affordable prices and continue to put the community in community theatre - always welcoming and giving the community the opportunity to participate — whether it be on stage or off — and to become a member of this vital organization.
The Drama Group
330 W. 202nd Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
708-755-3444
dramagroup.org
Union Street Gallery facilitates a variety of engaging arts experiences and opportunities that support the creative growth of artists and art appreciators adding to the cultural landscape of Chicago’s Southland. Union Street Gallery seeks to be a resource for artists through exhibitions, studio spaces, and community. Through supporting artists, we also strive to bring a diverse survey of the arts to the local community.
Union Street Gallery
1527 Otto Boulevard
Chicago Heights IL 60411
708-754-2601
http://www.unionstreetgallery.org/
The GSU Visual Arts Gallery is committed to creating an excellent, intellectually stimulating, and visually compelling experience for our visitors through dynamic exhibitions of established, emerging, and student artists’ work.
Visual Arts Gallery at Governors State University
Governors State University
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484
708.534.4021
http://www.govst.edu/gallery/
Jeff Stevenson
Director & Curator, Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park and Visual Arts Gallery
SOUTHLAND MUNICIPALITIES
Beecher
Chicago Heights
Country Club Hills
Crete
East Hazel Crest
Flossmoor
Ford Heights
Frankfort
Frankfort Square
Glenwood
Hazel Crest
Homewood
Lansing
Matteson
Mokena
Monee
New Lenox
Olympia Fields
Orland Park
Park Forest
Peotone
Sauk Village
South Chicago Heights
South Holland
Steger
Thornton
Tinley Park
University Park
