A new photo exhibit at the Beverly Arts Center is highlighting the architecture and community spirit of South Side Irish pubs, according to a Mar. 17 announcement. The exhibit, titled “Cheers to the South Side: An Irish Pub Exhibit,” features work by photojournalist Kelly White and will run through April at the center located at 2407 W. 111th St.
The exhibit aims to celebrate the strong Irish heritage of Chicago’s South Side, especially as St. Patrick’s Day festivities wind down. White said she wanted to capture both the architectural beauty and the sense of camaraderie found in local pubs. “Chicago is just such a heavy Irish pride community, especially around St. Patrick’s Day with the parade and everything,” White said. “So I felt like, especially with the Beverly Arts Center also being on Western, and then all the bars on Western, it’d be a good way to kind of incorporate the opening to St. Patrick’s Day weekend.”
White grew up in the area and has deep ties to the community, having attended Mother McAuley High School and graduated from St. Xavier University, where she now teaches journalism classes. She currently works as a reporter and photojournalist at Southwest Regional Publishing in Palos Heights.
Reflecting on her return to photographing local scenes, White said, “You forget how much you miss it, I guess. When you have something that you really just enjoy doing, you kind of put it on the back burner to focus on other aspects and other areas in your life. Then, to bring it to light again, it’s nice.”
While initially considering focusing on pub interiors and patrons’ interactions, White ultimately chose exterior shots due to their visual impact despite challenges posed by winter weather conditions during shooting. “I played a lot with, you know, the color and the dynamics, and I just had fun with it,” she said.
One featured bar is Cork and Kerry at 10614 S. Western Ave., which Bill Guide co-owns with Mike Fitzpatrick. Guide said maintaining a neighborhood atmosphere was important when they took over more than twenty years ago: “It was just important to me that it remained very neighborhood centric,” Guide said. “It was the hub of the area. I wanted it to remain so. You know, just have the neighborhood vibe and neighborhood feel and place where people can call home and strangers can meet.”
White emphasized that her goal was to reflect this enduring sense of familiarity: “I was trying to incorporate a little bit of that sense of familiarity that doesn’t go away on the South Side,” she said.
The exhibit is free and open to all visitors throughout April.
