Gallery 312 Collection, 1982-2005

Collection processed Fall 2012. Originally contained in 11 Paige boxes and 1 document case of records. The documents were weeded and processed into acid free folders and boxes.

Gallery 312 was founded in 1994 by Lewis S. and Anne Neri Kostiner. The Kostiners opened the Gallery as a nonprofit art organization in a renovated warehouse building at 312 North May Street in the Fulton Market District of Chicago, Illinois. It was the second art gallery to open in the West Loop after Paul Klein and was active for 11 years before its closing in 2005. The Gallery focused on the development of local artists and exhibited works by local and international artists alike. In the tradition of the Kostiners' photography backgrounds, many of the exhibits featured artists in the photographic medium. Notable Chicago photographers who showed there include Aaron Siskind, John Vinci, and Harry Callahan.

The activities, programming, and exhibition selections at Gallery 312 were intended to initiate dialogue on contemporary art and social issues.. Each year, "The Summer Show" exhibitionshowcased artists not backed by gallery representation. Some of the artists featured in this annual show have since become well known in the art world. Tony Tasset, Mayumi Lake, UrsulaSokolowska, and Alison Ruttan have gone on to exhibit in national and international museums andfestivals and featured in publications such as ArtWorld Digest and F-Stop Magazine. In the summer of 2010, Tony Tasset's "The Eye" was installed as a public sculpture in Pritzker Park at State and Van Buren Streets in the Chicago Loop. Other recognized artists who were featured at G312 include Jed Fielding, Michiko Itatani, Dawoud Bey, Esther Parada, Leon Golub, and Cindy Sherman.

Expenses for Gallery 312 were covered by Annie Properties, the Kostiner's commercial real estate company, with all the Gallery's earned revenue going to donation; half to artistsparticipating in the exhibitions and half to a local children's charity chosen by the Kostiners to aid at risk Chicago youth.

The Kostiners founded The PEACH Club in the summer of 1996. The PEACH Club (Patience, Encouragement, Arts, Consistency, Hope) was a long-term, after-school program that met twice weekly over the course of the school year at The PEACH Club studio and five additional sites in Chicago's North, Northwest, and South Sides. Curriculum for the program was designed to foster individual growth, self-realization, and potential.

Gallery 312 showcased two annual exhibitions, "The Summer Show" and "Young At Art." The "Young At Art" exhibition featured artwork created by the youth participating in The PEACH Club. In addition, two other youth arts organizations were invited to exhibit a selection of the artwork.Throughout the program's operating years, "Young At Art" also featured work by youths from Chicago Public Schools, the Marwen Foundation, Picture This Projects, KidStART, Pros-Arts Studio, Uhlich Children's Home, Marshall Boys and Girls Club. This collection of Gallery 312's Records includes material evidence of their collaboration with the Richard E. Byrd Community Academy in Picture This Projects in December of 1999.

Gallery 312 closed in 2005 after 11 years of activity.

The Gallery 312 Collection dates from 1982 to 2005 in 7.08 cubic feet (7 boxes). The collection strength lies in its records of Gallery 312's exhibition history and business transactions. Items throughout the collection include business account records, exhibition files, magazines, newspaper clippings, auction catalogs, audiovisual materials, and oversize items.

The Gallery 312 Records are arranged into five series and three subseries:

Series 1: Exhibition Files, 1991-2005 Series 2: Business Records, 1995-2004 Subseries 1: Event Accounts Subseries 2: Charity Letters Series 3: Printed Matter, 1998-2003 Series 4: Audio Visual Materials, 1982-2004 Series 5: Oversized Materials, 1992-1995

The first three series are arranged by subject, while the fourth and fifth are arranged by format. Series 1 is arranged chronologically by exhibition start date, with each exhibition in its own folder and new accessions added in separate folders behind the original folder, and Series 3 and 5 are also arranged chronologically. Files within the second series (Business Records) are arranged alphabetically by the names of individual event accounts. The subseries of Series 4 are arranged chronologically.

Folder/Item Title, (date). Series Title, Gallery 312 Collection, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago.

Former website for Gallery 312, 2001-2002 from Internet Archive

The entirety of the Gallery 312 collection is available to all users.

Materials are the property of Columbia College Chicago. Intellectual property rights of work belong to the original creators. Materials within the collection that are published and copyrighted maintain their copyright protections and must be used according to United States Copyright Law. Use of this collection and its materials is understood to be primarily for research, teaching, and creative study; additional uses, such as publication, exhibition, or other appropriate purposes may be considered upon consultation with the Archivist.

All physical materials and reformatted media must be viewed during a scheduled appointment time within the College Archives & Special Collections office. No materials are to be circulated unless otherwise consulted with the Archivist.

Access to some audiovisual media in the collection, such as VHS or audio cassette, may be temporarily unavailable pending digital reformatting.

Access to reformatted media in the collection, such as VHS, audio cassette, or computer files, must be viewed within the College Archives & Special Collections office during a scheduled appointment. Although reformatted, these items cannot be sent electronically nor can be published in our online database due to copyright restrictions. A computer and other necessary equipment will be provided during the appointment to access these materials.

• Subject
  • Art museums
  • art galleries
• Geographic CoverageChicago (Ill.)
• NamesGallery 312