Little Black Pearl Will Open A Coworking Lounge, Launch Workshops For Adult Creatives This Month by Block Club Chicago

Little Black Pearl, 1060 E. 47th St., will open a co-working lounge for creatives by the end of October and roll out workshops in the weeks to follow, founder Monica Haslip said. The lounge is in its “Soft launch stage” for the next two weeks, and visitors can explore the space and offer feedback on the programs they’d like to see hosted there, Haslip said. Once the lounge is fully operational, Haslip plans to host painting, drawing, ceramics and pottery workshops, as well as sessions on financing, marketing and other business aspects of the creative industry. With its Carver 47 café and community market, summer camp, after-school sessions and other programs, Little Black Pearl is “Always trying to create opportunities to expand the narrative about African-American icons and folk who have contributed to this country,” Haslip said. Haslip, who founded Little Black Pearl in 1994, also received a $50,000 Leaders for a New Chicago award from the Field Foundation and MacArthur Foundation in June. Students “Have been trying to adjust and find new ways to connect socially – that’s a big part of high school,” Haslip said. Little Black Pearl’s numerous programs aim to stabilize a community in flux, Haslip said.