During the last two decades, Notre Dame has made a significant effort to be a true partner of South Bend, and perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing result of this growing partnership is the Crossroads Gallery at the Notre Dame Downtown office on Michigan Street. Since 2003, downtown-dwellers have had a reason to stop into the satellite office of Notre Dame Public Affairs and view an artistic space operated by Notre Dame's Institue for Latino Studies.
The gallery walls feature an ever-changing exhibit of painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography, while also offering a space for community meetings, press events, and more. For example, ND Student Government uses the gallery for their "Community Summit," a meeting of student and local leaders each year, and DTSB and the City have used it for their the Festival of Banners press conferences. This space is therefore continually transformed by the art work on the walls as well as the community within them.
Location: 217 South Michigan Street South Bend (also shares an entrance with DTSB's main offices)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Recent exhibitions:
- Fabricating the Real: Artists from L.A., featuring sculptures by artists Michael Amescua and Maria Elena Castro.
- Paradise: Selected Pieces, showcasing the artwork of Scherezade Garcia.
- EVOKE 2 PROVOKE, featuring Rodriguez Calero’s unique style in painting known as ACROLLAGE.
- Graffiti Art Project (GAP), a summer-long endeavor that sought to provide South Bend kids ages 10-17 with a creative outlet and the opportunity to express their unique talents and perspectives.
- Visiones paralelas: Images of the Mexican Revolution in Chicano and Mexican Art, artwork drawn from the Gilberto Cárdenas Latino Art Collection
- Materia Prima: Recent Paintings and Prints by Ramiro Rodriguez