High Concept Labs 15th Anniversary Campaign
The HCL Anniversary Campaign seeks to raise $125,000 in recognition of 15 years of advocacy for experimental, conceptual, and genre-defying artistic projects. This campaign will enable the longevity of High Concept Labs and our mission of strengthening Chicago’s creative sector through accessible residency programs.
Our Impact
In its first 15 years, HCL has facilitated over 300 artist residencies across genres and disciplines. Past residents include co-founders of the Emmy-award winning “Manual Cinema”; Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet; renowned national-touring footwork crew “The Era”; inveterate Afro-Feminist performance group “Honey Pot Performance”; and Chicago choreographic mainstays like Molly Shanahan and 2024 US Artist Fellowship Awardee Erin Kilmurray, among many others. Most recently, HCL was instrumental in bringing Jeff-nominated “Tebas Land” to the stage in 2022.
As we begin the next phase of our work, we will:
Continue our unique two-year local residency model that provides the resources that enable artists to be visionaries, cultural leaders, and community beacons;
Continue promoting visibility for the creative process though Open Labs, Art/Access Labs, and Annual Showcases; and
Deepen our commitment to full artist and audience accessibility in regards to geography, disability, and socioeconomic factors like education and income.
“There is an energy and urgency in the air at HCL that really inspires artists to raise the bar and make truly worthwhile work.”
Jason Pallas
2011 HL Sponsored Artist
Lab E: Convening of Chicago's Disabled Artists | December 3, 2023 at Experimental Station | Photo by Mikey Mosher
Our History
HCL was founded by Kevin Simmons and Molly Feingold in 2009 with a vision of sponsoring and providing warehouse space to artists to develop short-term creative projects. This adaptable, service-oriented environment, bolstered by a creative staff adept at supporting administrative aspects of artistic careers, quickly established HCL as the place for artists to seek support for interdisciplinary, process-based, collaborative, participatory, and experimental projects.
The original home of HCL, a warehouse space on Wabansia Avenue.
In 2014, we moved to our current home within the Mana Contemporary arts hub situated between Pilsen, Bridgeport, and Chinatown. Here, we built out the HCL Lab, a large studio equipped with a sprung wood dance floor, a grand piano, and extensive A/V equipment. This specialized studio, provided at no cost to Artists in Residence, quickly became a core residency benefit.
The next era of HCL ushered in a wave of partnerships and collaborations that brought our work to venues and public spaces throughout the city. HCL, in collaboration with Chicago Loop Alliance, presented The Living Loop, a festival celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of Chicago’s performing arts community with three months of free weekly outdoor performances. A partnership with 3Arts supported Rashayla Marie Brown’s “Reality is Not Good Enough” video and photography series. A partnership with Experimental Station brought Dorothée Munyaneza, a Rwandan multi-disciplinary performance artist, to Chicago for two-month residency.
In 2019, HCL transitioned to a co-director leadership model and overhauled programs to expand the depth of support for artists. HCL residencies were reinvented as 12-month opportunities, with the option to return for an additional year of support as a Fellow Artist in Residence. This expanded duration dramatically stabilizes artistic practices and can enable pivotal career growth.
In 2020, we were able to quickly pivot during a tumultuous time by providing autonomous access to our facilities. In addition to providing safe studio access for current HCL residents, we met an increased need for space by extending no-cost access to HCL alumni and other artists whose livelihood was interrupted. For 18 consecutive months, HCL made space for 20 additional artists and artist groups, with studio use tripling to an average of 85 hours/week.
Now in 2024, as we enter our 15th year of programming, we are now leaning into our accessibility commitment by addressing accessibility limitations beyond socio-economic and geographic barriers. Our newest programmatic expansion is the launch of Art/Access Labs, a series of convenings presented in partnership with Unfolding Disability Futures (UDF) and committed to fostering a vibrant disabled artist ecosystem through cross-discipline and cross-impairment professional development activities.
Co-presented with UDF, Art/Access Labs offers a community space for artists with disabilities to share resources, to nourish artistic and professional relationships, and support the development of each other’s creative practice. As HCL and UDF learn through presenting Art/Access Labs, both organizations will be a resource for artists and organizational peers seeking to increase inclusivity.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Angee Lennard, Managing Director, at angee@highconceptlabs.org. We are happy to tailor a benefits package to suit the goals of corporate and individual donors.
More Ways to Donate
By Check: Mail donation to High Concept labs, 2233 S. Throop St., Suite #401, Chicago, IL 60608
Venmo: @HighConceptLabsNFP
Zelle: info@highconceptlabs.org
Bank Transfer or DAF: Please email angee@highconceptlabs.org
High Concept Labs is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible.
