“Renamed the Stony Island Arts Bank – or just “the Arts Bank” – the building has been reimagined in recent years as a place of cultural currency. On the first floor, ambitious artworks take the place of bank teller stations. On the second floor, the Johnson Library Collection is an investment in information.”
“And a new exhibition spotlights the Johnson Publishing story with furniture, ephemera and artwork.
The show conveys the role of the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines in spreading the word on black culture from their onetime offices at 820 S. Michigan Ave.”
“It’s a tremendous significance that the Johnson Publishing Library as well as the furniture and material objects are here at the Stony Island Arts Bank, which is located on the South Side of Chicago in an area where there are not many reminders of black achievement and career opportunities.”