Links Hall, a longtime home for experimental dance, will close this summer
According to a statement by the organization, it struggled 'to balance the cash needs to operate Links Hall and the funding reality after years of diminished foundation and governmental support.' Staff turnover and leadership changes, plus capacity challenges and blows incurred from the COVID pandemic contributed to the decision to close.
Links Hall raised nearly half of a recent $350,000 fundraising goal, money its leaders said helped keep them 'financially and spiritually afloat this season,' according to a statement.
'We also received a series of funding rejections in December and January that we were counting on, so we ended up having to draw on the funds that we raised in the Lifeline campaign for general operations more than we had anticipated,' executive director SK Kerastas said. 'Most of that is spent.'
Links Hall was founded by three dancers — Carol Bobrow, Bob Eisen and Charlie Vernon — who in 1978 rented a room with white walls and a wood floor above a bar near the intersection of Clark, Newport and Sheffield. In 2013, Links Hall moved into the former Viaduct Theatre with Constellation, owned and operated by music presenter Mike Reed, keeping the white room, wood floor and DIY aesthetic, while continually enhancing their technical capabilities.
Kerastas said former Links Hall stewards, including Eisen, have expressed a mixture of sadness and disappointment in the decision.
'(Eisen) shared it was a miracle that Links has lasted this long when every single one of its peers has closed—some many years ago and some more recently.'
Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, the longtime home to Chicago Moving Company and a popular performance space for small dance companies closed last fall. So did Soham Dance Space. High Concept Labs, now in its 15 th year at Mana Contemporary in Pilsen, is presently avoiding the fate of its peers, aiming to raise $25,000 to bolster cash reserves after securing more than $85,000 in crowdfunding last year. Perhaps paradoxically, the Museum of Contemporary Art is leveling up, recommitting to a robust slate of live programming thanks to a recent $10 million anonymous gift.
Kerastas said they considered every available option at a recent board retreat. Links Hall staff have taken periodic pay cuts. They explored a volunteer model or temporary hibernation.
'It doesn't get that much cheaper,' Kerastas said. 'We're at a point where the dial is just tipped too far in the wrong direction.'
Apart from its use as a rental venue, Links Hall hosted artist residencies and mentoring programs, produced a slate of national and international artists over the years, and served as a bellwether for Chicago dance and performance art. An option that's remained on the table is to not fully dissolve the 501(c)3 organization, allowing someone else to potentially revive Links Hall in the future.
Constellation, the music and performance venue that was their landlord, will remain open.
According to a statement, Reed is interested in keeping some live performances in 'Studio A,' sometimes referred to as the 'White Space,' as an homage to Links Hall. The nature and timeline of such programming is not yet decided.
'There's a larger question about what this means for Chicago,' Kerastas said. 'There's this big wake up call, because this space going away leaves a really big, gaping hole for emerging artists and independent artists to experiment and present their work. I hope it's a wake up call for arts funders as well to be supporting folks who are in struggle and are needing support right now.'
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