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Vanessa Stokes

@veecstokes

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Artist | Curator | Writer | Entrepreneur
Westside Chicago | Creative Development Solutions | Westside Review | Outwest Gallery & Cafe

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Today on The Brunch Bunch, we explored the power of culture, creativity, and community with visionary Vanessa Stokes (@veecstokes). She shared the inspiring vision behind Outwest Gallery & Café—a future hub where art, storytelling, food, and neighborhood connection come together to uplift Chicago’s West Side. It was a conversation about investing in people, preserving history, and building stronger communities from the inside out. Thanks for joining us! 🎙️✨
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#brunchbunch #iheartradio #inspiration1390 #throwbackthursday #featuredguest

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🎙️Today on The Brunch Bunch, we welcome Vanessa Stokes (@veecstokes)—artist, developer, publisher, and visionary behind Outwest Gallery & Café. More than a café, Outwest is a bold investment in art, storytelling, culture, and community on Chicago’s West Side. Tune in as Vanessa shares how creativity, collaboration, and community engagement are helping build a lasting cultural hub designed to inspire, connect, and empower generations to come. ✨☕🎨🏙️
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#brunchbunch #iheartradio #inspiration1390 #throwbackthursday #featuredguest

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Reparations will come, so we need to be prepared for them... Do you agree?

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Loading… this new cafe is taking shape! ☕
Construction is coming along at @thirdcitycafechicago in Chicago’s Austin Neighborhood 🚧 Here's a sneak peek at progress on the job site 🔨

Big thanks to the visionaries and collaborators on this project @jonwomack75 @veecstokes @liz_the_chicago_zoning_lawyer

#CafeDesign #ChicagoArchitecture #AdaptiveReuse #ComingSoon #AustinChicago

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February flew by and March is marching on. Thankful for everyday, every moment and everyone! 🫶🏾

#blessed #thankful #sunday #march #dump

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#WeMade✨ - Honoring @bytahiti @veecstokes & @sowedupfarms 💐 & all the incredible @wemadechi honorees 💜who continue to elevate in their respective fields and make impact art, creativity, culture and nature

Powered 🔋 by @swankpr &@wcachicago, this celebration highlights the dedication, passion, and resilience of women making an impact in their industries.

Join us as we honor their journey at the
#WEMADe honors on 🗓️ 3/27 Secure your tickets 🎟️ now via @eventnoirehq or link in our bio 🔗!!!

#WomensHistoryMonth #2026 SwankPR WomenInBusiness wemadechi celebratingsuccess

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Cheers to the first year of @sheownsitshebiz conference. What started out as an intimate gathering amount at friends and colleagues has turned into a movement for women including men who support us! 😊

Join us for year five! Visit www.sheownsitshebiz.com to learn more and purchase your tickets today.

#soisb26 #conference #movingfoward #fyp #womensupportingwomen

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All month long, come see our Black History Month exhibit The Black Art Collectors: Preserving Our Legacy on view at the Aspire Center 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday

Photos by Shanel Romain

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On this post Benito Bowl Monday, I am reflecting on showing up in Love & Community…

Lot of work but if we do it right, lots of love too.

Do you love COMMUNITY enough to KEEP showing up?
Do you love YOURSELF enough to understand reciprocity? Giving without discernment is enablement. Taking without giving is GREED. Taking while giving is BALANCE.
Do YOU love ME enough to show up with food and warmth? LBVVS
Do WE love EACH OTHER enough to continue to evolve and repair? To repair the damage to ourselves on our journey and repair the harm we may have caused others, by intention or by impact.
Do WE LOVE ENOUGH to correct and accept correction without ego?

Are we in AGREEMENT that love rights all wrongs and brings us back to center?

@thekchicago has a new collaboration with The Outwest Gallery and Cafe. We hosted our first Westside Assembly for Black Futures Month this weekend and I facilitated a table on community wealth building. And what I got from the convo is ways to think about how we show up in LOVE, to rebuild, repair and sustain.

More takeaways to follow from the actual event but grateful for @veecstokes and @theejxm for leadership in assembling our communities out of LOVE ❤️

How do you show up IN LOVE? Let me know…

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This isn’t a meeting.
This isn’t a plan.
This is a movement.

Join us for the first-ever West Side Assembly – Black Futures Month, a gathering to re-imagine what our neighborhoods can be when we lead together.

Location: Garfield Park Gold Dome Field House
Date: Saturday Feb 7, 2026 | 10 AM – 1 PM

Austin. Garfield Park. Humboldt. Lawndale.
All of us — one room, one future.

Register now to build what comes next: https://west side assembly.eventbrite.com

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He said, “I am him.”
Not from ego — from gratitude✨

Sometimes you’ve got to look back at everything you pushed through and give yourself credit.
Not because you need validation… but because you kept going when it would’ve been easier to quit✨

This clip with @barrett.keithley hit different because self-appreciation is the bridge between who you were and who you’re becoming✨

💭 Drop a “🫶🏾” if you’re learning to thank you too✨

#SageAndBloom #IAmHim #GratitudeAsStrategy #HealingThroughArt #GrowthMindset #SelfLoveJourney #BlackExcellence #ChicagoCreatives #PurposeOverPressure #CommunityOverCompetition #BecomingWhoYouAre #IntentionalLiving
#barrettkeithely #art #artist

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Great things are happening on the Westside!

We had one of our most memorable breakfasts yet on November 5th, right on the iconic corner of Chicago Ave & Lockwood! This month’s gathering was held at the amazing family-owned coffee shop, @urban_essentials_coffeecafe also known as “Spill the Beans”, for a morning that truly felt like a warm welcome from the West Side!

We had a fantastic turnout, welcoming so many new faces to the club!

November’s breakfast was all about community, great conversation, and neighborhood exploration!

We can’t wait to do it again 🙌🏾 Keep an eye out for the next one!

New blog post for the Weekly Scramble out now🍳

📸: @mc.img of @dsgnrz

#community #WestSide #IJB #jointheclub

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