ABOUT THE DARKROOM
CHICAGO FOUNDATION

Expanding Access. Preserving Our Stories. Investing in Community.

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The Darkroom Chicago Foundation for Arts & Culture expands access to film photography, visual storytelling, and arts education for communities across Chicago. Our work centers youth, families, and neighborhoods that have historically lacked access to creative resources, ensuring that art-making, documentation, and storytelling are tools available to everyone.

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Through workshops, community partnerships, and our Mobile Darkroom initiative, we bring hands-on analog photography directly into schools, parks, libraries, and cultural spaces. Our programs emphasize curiosity, dignity, and creative expression—offering participants the opportunity to develop film, create images, and see their lived experiences reflected in their own work.

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The Foundation also supports exhibitions, cultural memory efforts, and community archives that uplift Chicago’s rich histories, particularly those rooted in the South and West Sides. By preserving stories, expanding creative access, and investing in community-led expression, we work to ensure that photography remains a powerful vehicle for identity, belonging, and collective memory.

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The Darkroom Chicago Foundation for Arts & Culture is a separate nonprofit organization supporting community-based arts education and access. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.