Alt Space Chicago

A collaboration between Jon Veal and Jordan Campbell, Alt Space Chicago (abbreviated alt_) was created in response to the trauma of the Black community and the belief that art could be used as a tool for healing. Campbell’s family history of community stewardship + entrepreneurship and Veal’s lifelong passion for art merged to positively disrupt their communities through tangible acts of service. Sharing the mutual motivators of family, community, change and servanthood, Veal and Campbell moved forward to create alt_. Since its inception, alt_ has expanded into an artist-led, Chicago-based cultural non-profit that is dedicated to revitalization + service + empowerment through art, faith, and community. alt_ provides an alternative to the dominant cultural narrative, manifesting new opportunities on the South and West Sides of Chicago. No longer satisfied with the way things have always been done, alt_ is a swift deviation from the norm, a rallying cry for change. The name alt_ posits that there are different [ alternative ] ways of improving our world and ways of doing: [ alternative ] powers of structure, [ alternative ] ways of thinking and [ alternative ] ways to cultivate culture / community / connection.

At alt_, we activate art + faith + community through tangible acts of service. We provide art education, art creation, art installation, and collaboration opportunities with mentorship, job and technical training. Our cultural and communal space serves as a creative hub for the city of Chicago.