Kevin Coval

Chicago

Silver Room is one of my favourite places in the city. It’s become a  cultural institution that’s been an anchor to the revitalisation of the business district on 53rd Street in Hyde Park. The Silver Room started as a jewellery/culture space and it’s become a place where the community comes together for open mics, for storytelling events. An important place. 

A Korean fusion restaurant run by my buddy chef Won Kim who is also a graffiti writer and DJ. The most exciting cultural spaces in Chicago now is in food pop-ups run by young entrepreneurial first-second generation immigrants, fusing their country's palette into Chicago fare. Most of these younger chefs happen to be pan-Asian - Won at Kimski is the uncle of this new moment. He is one the finest chefs this city has. 

Allan - the gallerist - is really trying to work with emerging artists to further professionalise their craft and business acumen. I admire that as I think Chicago artists get overlooked, even though  they make some of the illest work on the planet. Allan is generous with his space, there is a lot that goes on outside of gallery shows - dinners, readings, gatherings. Just a cool, elevated cultural space. 

They have acted - like many street wear shops in Chicago - as a community centre that's helped to foster the local music community. They’ve probably been around going on 20 years as a streetwear brand. The sort of golden moments in Chicago hip hop music most recently was early 2010s - the sound known as drill was beginning to bubble. A lot of the crossover - listening sessions and gear - came from spaces like Jugrnaut. It continues to support the local music scene: hosting listening parties and open mics.

They have affordable vinyl both new and used - difficult to find stuff. They run a DJ program in that space and give opportunities to emerging DJs including having DJ classes. 

Hungry Brain is oftentimes a jazz bar. You will see folks like artists who are on Chicago's International Anthem label - they do a for real job of highlighting new music that is fresh. The jazz scene in Chicago is slept on in a way, Chicago has this tradition of free, experimental jazz. 

Run by folks from the neighbourhood who are trying to create a third space for everybody. Cafes in Chicago are having a renaissance as third spaces, there is a generation of young entrepreneurs excited about creating spaces for people to gather outside of work and the home, which is essential to cultural fabric of the city. They make incredible lattes while making sure that you feel welcome.

It is an active factory that has embraced the culture of graffiti art. The folklore is that the owner's son was graffiti writer, he got tired of him and knucklehead friends calling from jail so turned over their walls to graffiti writers in a decriminalised way. You can go practice as a novice and see uninterrupted masterpieces on the outside walls. In my opinion, it is one of the best public art space in the city, if not the country.

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