Michael Workman

There's often so much visual art happening in the Pilsen neighborhood that it's difficult to differentiate one particular event from another. Every month, Second Fridays draws crowds to the coordinated gallery openings. At the end of September, the 35th Annual Artists Open House takes place, with art walks to the many studios and art spaces that dot what's known as the "Pilsen East Art District," an area radiating outward from the intersection of South Halsted and 18th Street.

The existence of Pilsen's formal art center is due largely to the efforts of the Podmajersky family, who arrived in Chicago following a flood of immigration from Slovakia that started in 1914. John Podmajersky Sr. got his start buying real estate in the neighborhood and, in the 1960s, noticed that artists were moving to the area in search of affordable live/work spaces. It was a good match. They're a family now known for a sort of artist's commune/real estate empire that, coupled with an intense interest in spurring on a creative culture, has earned them a somewhat odd reputation. Why such unwavering support for the arts? It's a legacy started by "Pod Sr." as his staff refers to him, a mantle that his son, John Pomajersky Jr. has now taken up himself.

Nodding assertively when asked why Chicago doesn't promote its artists very well, "Pod Jr." motions out at the studios and storefront galleries lining Halsted Street. "It's something we've been trying to change for decades," he says. Artists, he agrees, always think that if only they can find a gallery to represent them, they're suddenly set for life. But even if an artist has one solo show a year and sells out that entire show, they're not likely going to make a living. John Jr. wants to help artists help themselves rather than expecting the city, gallerists, or anyone else to help them. "It's something that keeps Chicago from really standing out as a world-class city, that kind of dependence. It'll probably take at least two more generations before it can change."

This fall, both father and son will show another kind of support they've offered artists over the years: collecting their work. On October 14th from 6-7:30pm at a location yet to be determined, with "The Podmajersky Collection: 40 years of Chicago Artists," they'll exhibit art collected over the years to the general public, which include impressive works by such well-known Chicagoans as Ruth Duckworth, who had her studio in the neighborhood for decades. Reservations are required; call (312)738-8000, option 6.

(2005-08-31)

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