Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation and Miyagi Records to open South Side record store

Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune
·1 min read

A new record store is coming to South Side Chicago.

Incubated under the Rebuild Foundation’s Creative Entrepreneurship Program, Miyagi Records will open in April in the Washington Park neighborhood’s Arts Block, a group of cultural and commercial spaces along Garfield Boulevard.

Miyagi Records was started by Nigel Ridgeway and Marco Jacobo, two musicians and collectors who were inspired by the hyper-curated vinyl shops in Tokyo. The store aims to highlight Chicago’s rich musical history across a variety of genres, such as blues, soul, house, jazz and hip hop.

“Owning a record store is not just about selling music, it’s about curating a cultural experience and building a community around the art of listening,” Jacobo said in an announcement.

The store will also partner with the Rebuild Foundation’s creative coffeehouse and incubator for emerging culinary artists, Retreat at Currency Exchange Café. The space will help host music programming, performances and community listening events.

“The preservation, curation, and recirculation of Black music that Miyagi Records brings to the Arts Block demonstrates the depth of creative entrepreneurial talent that lives in our communities,” said Theaster Gates, founder and executive director of the Rebuild Foundation.

The artist, developer and urban planner has used his Rebuild Foundation to take abandoned buildings and transform them into beloved community spaces across Chicago. He’s behind the Experimental Design Lab, the Greater Grand Crossing and Kenwood Gardens. The Arts Block is run by the Arts and Public Life initiative at the University of Chicago, which began in 2011 with the goal of fostering the ambitions and collaborations between the university and South Side artists.

Miyagi Records will open 5 p.m. on April 14 at 307 E. Garfield Blvd. It will be open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. More information at miyagirecords.com