345 Art Gallery showcases creativity, passion on Chicago's West Side

CHICAGO - Art has the power to tell stories, shape communities, and change lives. One Chicago gallery owner is making sure the West Side has a front-row seat to creativity.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we shine a light on Corry Williams, an art collector and curator who's bringing culture closer to home. He's not just a curator and collector. He's also a cop.

Art and justice may seem like worlds apart, but for Williams, they go hand-in-hand. 

Williams has spent years serving and protecting his community—upholding the law—but his passion for art has led him to serve in a different way. 

"I am a Chicago police officer," Williams said. "I've made arrests. You know, I've locked people up. But again, it's just my job and I've always been fair. The West Side deserves an art gallery and I grew up, you know, just having an appreciation for art, wanting to see art, having to travel to different areas, to go to art galleries."

Every masterpiece starts with a blank canvas and for Williams, that canvas was an abandoned church at 345 N. Kedzie Ave. In 2015, just blocks from where he grew up and where he was on patrol, Williams saw potential where others saw emptiness. 

A Chicago police officer by day and an art collector at heart, he transformed the forgotten space into 345 Art Gallery—a sanctuary for creativity, culture, and community.  

Like brushstrokes on a canvas, Williams carefully curated a space where local and international artists can showcase their work, artists who might never have had the chance otherwise. 

Nestled in East Garfield Park, 345 Art Gallery is more than a gallery—it’s a movement, a masterpiece in progress, and a tribute to the artists waiting to be discovered. One of those is Dianne McGee-Lewis—a retired hairstylist, she grew up in the area and still has roots here.

"It's different. It's exciting to see how special these young black artists are. It's exciting," McGee-Lewis said.

You can visit 345 Art Gallery on Tuesday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can also make an appointment to visit the space.