About the Copernicus Center & Copernicus Foundation
Copernicus Foundation History
- The Copernicus Center is a premiere event center in Chicago hosting small to large scale events and concerts, theatre, educational workshops, culturally diverse activities, as well as community engagement. Cultural and community events in Chicago are at the heart of what we do.
- We are also home to the LARGEST Polish music fest, Taste of Polonia Festival, held annually in September.
- The Center is supported by the Copernicus Foundation, a non-profit organization serving Chicago since 1971.
- Supporting Chicago’s large Polish population, community events on the Northwest side, and multicultural Arts & Entertainment are the heart of the Foundation’s mission.
- In 1977, the search began for a permanent site to house a Polish cultural center in Chicago.
- In 1979, the foundation purchased the old Gateway cinema building located near Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues.
- The historic portion of the building housed the first movie theater in Chicago built exclusively for the “talkies.”
- The Copernicus Foundation chose to preserve the theater itself while remodeling around it, dividing the original 40-foot entry lobby and constructing three floors of office, meeting rooms and classroom space for the Copernicus Center. This first stage was completed in 1981.
- Since then, the theater has been cleaned, a thrust stage has been built, and the theater has been utilized for a wide variety of programs, not only Polish in nature, but a vast mix of uses by the Northern and Northwest communities.
- Community organizations, schools, and many varied ethnic groups use the Center on a regular basis.
- The stage has been host to folk dancing, classical orchestras, kabaret, graduations, beauty pageants, fashion shows, body building tournaments, International music stars, local musicians, and more.
