About Us
Lillstreet Art Center is an art school, art gallery, and artist studio space in Chicago, located in Ravenswood’s lively “Malt Row” district. We offer classes and workshops covering topics in Ceramics, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Textiles, Printmaking & Book Arts, and Drawing & Painting. Our Kidstreet program includes multimedia classes and summer camps for children and families.
We strive to provide a creative retreat from the noisy world around us, where you can relax, find inspiration, enjoy meditative creative time, make friends, and reach your artistic goals. As a collective, we foster a community where artists of all backgrounds, ages, and skill levels can learn together. We promise good vibes in the studio and a supportive space to explore your practice and learn new skills. New artists will gain confidence in our First-Time Artist classes, which teach the foundational skills needed to begin working in a particular medium.
As creative people who work for creative people, supporting artists is our priority. Through our annual Artist-in-Residence program, we offer career opportunities and workspace for emerging to mid-career artists. We remove barriers to art education through our growing Scholarship Programs and Free Visiting Artist Program. We are committed to giving back to the art community and beyond in Chicago, with a portion of our profits going to local organizations supporting humanitarian causes each month.
Our History
Founded by Bruce Robbins in 1975, Lillstreet came from humble beginnings. What started as a clay manufacturing company on Halsted and Grand under the name Robbins Clay, has become a multifaceted art center offering so much more than materials for ceramics artists.With the business partnership of Martin Cohen, Robbins sold Robbins Clay and bought a former horse stable at 1021 W. Lill in Lincoln park. Named after the street, Lill Street Studios expanded their offerings to include a small variety of ceramics classes and workshops. This programming eventually outgrew the space, and in 2003, Lillstreet relocated to a place in which it could truly grow—a former gear factory on Ravenswood Ave. Lillstreet Art Center, as it is now called, accommodates artists working in a wide variety of media. Our current 40,000 sq. ft. facility features 20 classrooms which accommodate over 2000 students each session.
Our Zero Tolerance Policy for Discrimination and Harassment
We are committed to providing a supportive working and learning environment free from any form of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, social status, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in employment termination and/or the loss of the privilege to take class at Lillstreet. To report an issue, please contact us at hr@lillstreet.com. No retaliation of any kind will occur because you have reported an incident.
