This fall, artist Theaster Gates will debut The Land School, a transformative cultural space opening on September 14th, 2025, in Chicago’s South Side. The ambitious project, set within the former St. Laurence Elementary School, reflects Gates’ vision of reimagining disused buildings into hubs of creativity, pedagogy, and archival practice.
Theaster Gates’ Chicago project: from empty school to cultural landmark
Part of the larger Theaster Gates’ Chicago project under the Rebuild Foundation, The Land School represents more than just an architectural restoration. The $12 million redevelopment preserved the school’s masonry and plasterwork while converting its 40,000 square feet into a center for experimentation in art, music, and community engagement. Gates has described the school as a milestone in reclaiming and reconstituting neglected spaces, emphasizing its role as a site of “space redemption” and collective imagination.
Archival practice and artistic experimentation
A cornerstone of the program is archival practice, through which The Land School will examine histories of land dispossession and community resilience. Alongside exhibitions, workshops, and critical discourse, the space will highlight projects that merge creative work with documentation. For example, the opening will feature D-Composed, a Black chamber music collective, and collaborations with International Anthem and DJ Duane Powell, all foregrounding how cultural memory and performance can shape collective futures.
Among its early projects, the school will present sculptural installations and archival displays reflecting Gates’ long-standing engagement with urban planning and social history. One highlight, Ascension, addresses the body’s resilience through material form, while site-specific works in progress will invite visitors into the unfolding process of reimagining space and community.
Opening in conjunction with the Chicago Architecture Biennial, The Land School is both a cultural anchor and an evolving experiment. For artist Theaster Gates, it stands as a living testament to how creative stewardship and critical archives can reshape the built environment—and the narratives rooted within it.
Read our interview with Theaster Gates, where he delves into art as a sacred practice, the meaning of archives, and the act of remaking communities.