



by BRIAN NADIG

Internationally known artists Nick Cave is seeking to open an art studio and gallery inside a vacant 84-year-old building at 3618 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to Alderman John Arena (45th).

Arena will hold a community meeting on the proposal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at the Schurz High School Auditorium, 3601 N. Milwaukee Ave., which is located across from the proposed gallery. The two-story brick building on the property features several decorative features along the roofline.

The project requires the 5,800-square-foot site be rezoned from M1-1, which is intended primarily for manufacturing use, to C1-1, which would permit both commercial work and residential living, said Arena’s chief of staff Owen Brugh. Cave plans to live on the second floor, Brugh said.

Cave, who is a professor at the School of the Art Institute, is a dancer and performance artist who is well-known for his wearable fabric sculptures, which are called “Soundsuits.” They often resemble bright ceremonial costumes and are made from a variety of materials and objects.



