Q&A with Blake Bradford

Hyde Park Art Center's Director of Education, Blake Bradford, was kind enough to answer a few questions about Creative Move 3.

I Am Chicago: What went into deciding to move to your new space?

Blake Bradford: I can’t quite describe the process that led up to our move—I joined the staff in the old space [the ballroom of an apartment complex] but after the plans were underway ... I know it was a carefully considered step in our evolution. My understanding is that we wanted to make a move that was in line with our significant history among Chicago art institutions. We were founded as a Works Progress Administration project in 1939 and had been around for more than 60 years, helping artists such as Jim Nutt and Karl Wirsum emerge on the national stage. And yet we were hard to find and define, even for Hyde Parkers.

IAC: Why does HPAC choose to celebrate their move with a 24-hr party?

BB: The inaugural Creative Move was a 36 hour party. It was a celebration of our new space, all that was going on, and all the people who helped us get here. We couldn’t fit it all in to the time frame of our regular openings. We shaved it down to 24 hours last year.

IAC: What are you most excited about for Creative Move 3? What do you hope people will enjoy most about Creative Move 3 or get out of it?

BB: I’m most excited about seeing all the people who are being introduced to the Art Center. We still have people, from all over the South Side, who ask “There’s an art center in Hyde Park?” I have great hopes that many of them will begin to see themselves as cultural participants and that there are nearby opportunities to engage with the cultural life of the city. Also, I’m incredibly excited about Istria’s [a cafe inside the museum] grand opening.