Gallery 1701 – CHICAT

More than a Gallery. It's a Community Space.

CHICAT is privileged to be home to Gallery 1701, a beautiful sunlit art gallery that rivals high end galleries in affluent parts of our city, yet is accessible to the under-resourced communities that we are proud to serve. More than a place to display art, it is a place to convene and catalyze community. That is the true power of art: it not only inspires, it activates! We prioritize works by BIPOC artists who may not have the opportunity or resources to display in traditional galleries. We are grateful to be able to shine a spotlight on their work, thereby allowing it to touch the lives of our students and the communities we serve.

Meet our Gallery Coordinator: Yidi Wang

Yidi Wang is an interdisciplinary new media artist, educator, and curator. She received her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, majoring in Emerging Technologies. She has previously focused on using design to solve social problems through interactive installations. Yidi is an extraordinary talent who is profoundly committed to elevating Gallery 1701 into a vibrant community activation space.

Open Call for African American Artists: The Power We Hold

CHICAT Black History Month Exhibition

Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026

Open Call to African American artists to submit work for an upcoming exhibition honoring the 100th Anniversary of Black History month, which began here in Chicago. Our exhibit will celebrate Black artistic expression, creativity, and cultural narratives. The exhibition seeks to highlight a wide range of artistic practices and perspectives and welcomes submissions across all visual media.

Artists can submit their work directly here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxmMj673mvhJlNN3u1UZR2-U6Bl2cqKR03h1h6eZgVfqw2Fg/viewform?usp=header

The open call is also listed on Chicago Artists Coalition:

https://chicagoartistscoalition.org/call-for-artist/call-for-african-american-artists

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Yidi@chicat.org.

Note on Sales
If your artwork is selected for display in our gallery, you may offer it for sale. All sales will be handled directly by you, either by including your contact information on the artwork label or by providing a QR code linked to your sales platform. Selected works will also be featured on CHICAT’s website.