About Us
Chicago Neon Community Cooperative
Our Story
The Chicago Neon Community Coop is a single-craft member-run maker space located in Evanston IL and bordering the Chicago neighborhood of East Rogers Park. It provides a facility for its members to practice the craft of neon, exchange ideas and display work. Besides the traditional craft, other tools will allow members to collaboratively and individually explore the intersections of art, design, technology and culture. The Coop will be self-supporting by hosting events, teaching classes and seminars to the general community, and assessing member dues.
The Origin Story
I’ve been teaching neon at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since the mid 1980’s. What started as an experiment with one course a year proved to be so popular that there is a now a complete light media curriculum which includes five neon classes. Every semester painters, sculptors, designers, photographers, architects, conceptual artists, historians, every creative discipline, are excited about learning this seductive but difficult medium and pushing their creative possibilities. And without fail every semester students utter the inevitable question: “I love neon, so where can I go in Chicago to continue after I graduate?” Unfortunately, the answer has always been nowhere. Till now. Welcome to NenComCoop!
Founder
Greg Mowery
Associate Adjunct Professor
Department of Art And Technology
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Where
We have a new tentative location at 1609 Howard St. It’s an easy walk from the Red/Purple line. It’ll be in the heart of the burgeoning Howard Street cultural district with Sol Cafe, The Howard Street Brewing Company and The Factory Theater as our neighbors. We will be sharing the space with ChiTownBio, a community bio lab. This is a much more desirable location than our previous Evanston address as it offers wonderful windows facing the street, ADA bathroom facilities and wheelchair access. The windows will allow us to have an ongoing art exhibition and allow the public to see work being produced. With the Chicago address and up to code facilities we will be able to offer public events and will be eligible for numerous grants.
Our Mission
Chicago Neon Community Coop (NenComCoop) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, charitable organization with a mission to provide education, working access, and community to its members.
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