It began on May 1, 2005 as a one-time event called “The Union” – an attempt to rally North Central College students and the local Naperville community to unite for an arts-infused program that inspired spiritual reflection and social action.  Six years and hundreds of events later, The Union has become one of the premier underground music and arts venues in the Chicago suburbs. 

Still considered by some as a “best kept secret,” the 300 person standing-capacity room is often filled to the brim, and draws people of all ages from surrounding cities and states.  More than just an entertainment venue, The Union still operates on the presumption that great art can inspire both personal and social change – it can make dry bones dance, speak life into the human spirit and move people to action.

Socially-conscious

The first and primary core value of The Union is its focus on the mission – “to inspire social change through the arts.”  Artists and social causes have been hobnobbing for centuries, for better or worse.  In fact, some artists likely assume that it’s part of the job description – to change the world with three chords and the truth. The Union seeks to form a community of artists and activists who expose local and global injustice, but go beyond the cliché and surface-level “rock-star with a cause” mentality.

Faith-inspired

We believe that the reason music has the power to create social change is that all music, at its core, is deeply spiritual.  Whether wielded for noble purposes or not, music possesses a power unlike any other force in the universe. While The Union finds its motivation for social change in a biblical understanding of justice, it does not preclude others with different motivations for joining together in the cause.  Many social change initiatives are embraced by those of different faiths, or of no faith at all.  The Union welcomes and encourages this diversity.

Artist-friendly

The Union places a high value on art.  Therefore, The Union places a high value on the artist.  We strive to create an environment where respect, attention, and appreciation for the music, film, or art is paramount.  Unlike other venues where the music is merely a marketing tool to sell more products (drinks, food, merchandise), the primary product at The Union is experiencing the artist’s work.  It is a true “listening room” or “viewing room” that attracts people who want to interact with the art, the artist him/herself, and fellow viewers.  

Radically-hospitable

The Union hopes to cultivate an atmosphere that feels more like an extended family gathering than like the crowd in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.  This means welcoming both artists and fans with true care and concern. 

Financially-sustainable

Because small music venues are not traditionally revenue machines, this requires keeping overhead low, using inexpensive but effective promotion, and budgeting each event with the potential to break even.  Ideally, artists are also paid a respectable rate, and ticket prices are kept to a reasonable fee.  

Student-run

If there is a firm sense of ownership by the generations that have a pulse on the issues of the age, they will help book the right artists, attract the right crowd, and create the right change.  This keeps the atmosphere from turning “corporate.” While it may mean some bumps and hiccups along the road, it keeps it raw and real.

Education-focused

Because of The Union’s close connection to educational institutions and students, it becomes an ideal experiential learning environment in formal and informal ways.  Without a pre-conceived plan, The Union has been a real-world classroom for students studying entrepreneurship, accounting, business, marketing, interactive media, music, art, journalism, broadcasting, sociology, leadership, and other disciplines. 

Locally-rooted

The Union is anchored in a particular community, and therefore supports, reflects and influences that particular community.  A small local venue can only survive if it is supported by local musicians and local music fans, and concerns itself with the needs and issues particular to the local culture.   While The Union also hosts and supports national and international artists and causes, the force that drives ongoing success is strong local partnerships.   For The Union, this is done through connections with local musician and artist communities, and with social service agencies and non-profit organizations.

Artists performing at the Union have included Over the Rhine, the side project of Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins (Fiction Family), the classical violin and hip-hop mix of Black Violin, the indie crooning of the likes of Rosie Thomas and Denison Witmer, and many members of Nashville’s Square Peg Alliance including Andrew Osenga and Andy Gullahorn.

Others include: Anathallo, The Fold, Joe Pug, The Smoking Popes, Kevin Andrew Prchal, Milano, Derek Webb, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Horse Feathers, and Paper Route. 

Over the years we’ve featured creative and important documentary films addressing a wide range of issues and topics. 

 -          Invisible Children (Child soldiers in Northern Uganda)

-          Lord, Save us From Your Followers (Faith, Politics, Culture)

-          “Anatomy of the Music Video” (special seminar on the art of music videos)

-          Danielson: AFamilie Movie (The Daniel Smith/Sufjan Stevens story)

-          My Four Walls (homeless children)

-          Purple State of Mind (Atheist/Christian dialogue)

-          Kibera Kid (Life in the Kibera slums, Nairobi Kenya)

-          What Would Jesus Buy (Morgan Spurlock’s attack on consumerism)

-          Refugee All-Stars (The redemptive power of music in Sierra Leone)

-          God Grew Tired Of US (Lost Boys of Sudan)

-          Reporter (Nicholas Kristof and the crisis in the Congo)

-          Call and Response (Musicians rallying against modern-day slavery)

"Art is a reflection of God's creativity, an evidence that we are made in the image of God."

Francis Schaeffer