Elevated Chicago Expands “Elevating Culture Near Transit” Initiative with Three New Grants and Historic Partnership with CTA

Elevated Chicago Expands “Elevating Culture Near Transit” Initiative with Three New Grants and Historic Partnership with CTA


Elevated Chicago is proud to announce its partnership with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation in co-funding the expansion of the Elevating Culture Near Transit initiative with three new creative placekeeping projects beginning this spring.  This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting arts and culture projects across Chicago’s transit corridors.


Today’s announcement signals a powerful step forward in aligning transit, culture, and community development. These placekeeping projects will help transform utilitarian, ‘pass-through’ transit spaces into vibrant community hubs and destinations, which helps set the stage for deeper investment in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.


"Public transit is the connective tissue of our city's neighborhoods, cultures, and communities – that's why CTA is proud to partner with Elevated Chicago and the MacArthur Foundation to bring these placekeeping projects to life," said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. "When we invest in art and culture along our corridors, we're doing more than beautifying stations — we're signaling to residents that their histories, their stories, and their presence matter. This is exactly the kind of partnership that shows what equitable transit-oriented development looks like in practice and can pave the way for opportunities at the regional level."


CTA’s investment demonstrates how current transit providers and the future regional Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) can partner with community organizations and artists to build vibrant and equitable transit-oriented communities.


“These projects represent the power of arts and culture to strengthen community identity, amplify local voices, and create vibrant, safe, and welcoming spaces near transit,” said Juan Sebastian Arias, Executive Director of Elevated Chicago. “We are especially excited to partner with CTA in this new way and see this as a demonstration of how transit agencies can meaningfully support equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) and community-centered development.”


Newly Funded Projects

•             Mandala South Asian Performing Arts — Red Line Jazz Project:  Six CTA rail stations—between the Howard Terminal on the North Side to 95th/Dan Ryan on the South Side— will be activated through free, live jazz performances; illustrated storytelling posters; and a digital archive capturing local histories and oral traditions. This project builds on a successful 2024 pilot through the Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA’s) Transit Station Activations project.

•             Endeleo Institute — 95th Street ETOD Placekeeping Project: A Catalyst for Renaissance: Created in collaboration with a broad network of community partners, artists, residents and local youth, this project will co-create and document the history and narratives of neighborhoods along 95th Street including Lilydale and West Chesterfield. Stories shared will be transformed into a series of public-facing cultural assets, including murals, signage, visual illustrations, and digital content, culminating in a large cultural event along the 95th Street corridor. This effort is aligned with the CTA & DPD 95th Street Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Plan adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission in February 2025.

•             McKinley Park Development Council — 35th Street Corridor Placekeeping and Neighborhood Identity:

This initiative will develop a cohesive visual identity and activation strategy along the 35th Street corridor, using arts and culture to strengthen the neighborhood’s sense of place. Located within an Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) zone around the 35th/Archer Orange Line station, the project will enhance visibility, connectivity, and community pride along this key commercial district.


These three new projects join a growing cohort of eight other Elevating Culture Near Transit grantees working across Chicago to advance equitable development near transit through arts and culture. Elevated Chicago remains committed to not only funding projects, but also fostering collaboration, shared learning, and relationship-building among partners.


Grantees are invited to participate in a broader ecosystem of support, including access to technical assistance, communications platforms, and convenings such as the Creatives Table—creating opportunities to connect, share resources, and amplify impact.

Today’s three new placekeeping projects represents a total value of $150,000, which covers the entire program budget, and is supported by a mix of funding from Elevated Chicago, the MacArthur Foundation, and the CTA.


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