Front Porch Art Center in Chicago’s west side this summer will launch a storytelling and healthy eating campaign in Austin.
With a grant from Austin Fresh, the goal is to improve access to nutritious food in the community, reshape how residents engage with and discuss healthy food options and improve mental health.
“Food significantly impacts our daily quality of life,” said Keli Stewart, the founder of Front Porch. “Over the past year, two staple restaurants in our neighborhood have closed along this corridor. To address this, we are working with storytellers and artists to launch a campaign this summer.”
She added: “As part of the initiative, we will host long table meals and storytelling events that explore collective memories of food and community.”
Stewart emphasized that the lack of sit-down dining options in the neighborhood limits opportunities for community gathering and connection. She said she hopes the upcoming storytelling and healthy eating campaign will help restore these shared experiences by encouraging residents to engage in meals and conversations in a more meaningful way.
The new initiative will address not only access to healthy food but also mental health support in the neighborhood. These initiatives are in the early stages of planning, with more activities expected to launch this summer, a crucial time for promoting positive recreation and well-being in the community.
“In addition, we’ll be working with youth through writing and mental health-focused workshops. We’re really excited about this initiative,” Stewart said. “As you know, mental health is crucial, and it’s especially impacted in this neighborhood due to the limited options for quality therapists who are trained to understand the community and its historical and cultural challenges.”
About Front Porch
Front Porch Arts Center, founded in 2019 draws its name from the cultural significance of the front porch in Black communities, especially on the West Side, where it is seen as a space for multi-generational gatherings, learning and bearing witness to one another.
The organization aims to amplify this tradition by creating arts and cultural experiences, particularly in the Austin neighborhood. Front Porch’s mission is to provide a space that fosters connection and showcases local talent while serving as a cultural stage for the community.
A grant from We Rise Together helped the center transitioning into its space at 5851 W. Madison St., which they’ve occupied for nearly a year.
“The We Rise Together grant helped us not only with carpentry and construction projects but also with paying rent. It allows us to cover overhead costs, which can be challenging for a newly launched nonprofit or business space. We’re grateful to have received the grant, as it played a crucial role in our transition into a new year in this space. Being on Madison Street, a prime business corridor in the Austin neighborhood, is a great opportunity for us,” Stewart said.
Despite facing setbacks, including a contractor running off with funds just before their grand opening, the grant allowed the organization to establish a stable foundation.
“I think there are often a lot of assumptions people make about the West Side, but it’s not until you really come to our Front Porch that you’re able to bear witness to who we truly are as a people – our history, our culture, and our visions for the future,” Stewart said.
In addition to their community-focused initiatives, the Front Porch Arts Center has developed a key revenue stream through its on-site vintage store, which Stewart believes is the only one of its kind on the West Side. The vintage booth has also expanded to the Jackson Square Mall, known for its handpicked vintage and antique home décor. These efforts have helped Front Porch broaden its impact while supporting its ongoing operations.
“We’re also in what feels like an arts desert, with fewer arts opportunities than other neighborhoods. Front Porch wanted to step in to showcase the talent from the West Side and serve as a meeting space not only for the West Side but for the larger city as well,” Stewart said.
Alongside other efforts, West Side Stories, a digital archive of stories collected over the past five years, is moving forward, along with the launch of Motherwit, a monthly storytelling platform hosted by the Front Porch Arts Center. Motherwit invites local women to share their stories in the spirit of sisterhood and testimony, offering a roadmap for others to navigate survival.
Stewart stresses that community members can support the Front Porch Arts Center this year by visiting in person, following their social media, volunteering, seeking partnerships and making donations to help further their mission.
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