CPS Lives is now Artists in Public Schools
By CGN Staff via PR
CPS Lives is now Artists in Public Schools!
Since 2017 the organization, founded by Suzette Bulley, has partnered with 80+ Chicago artists, reached over 51,000 students, and worked alongside 86 schools in 61 neighborhoods to create art that reflects the resilience, diversity, and creativity of Chicago’s communities.
The nonprofit's new name directly reflects what they aim to do best:
For Artists: Offering paid residencies that empower local creatives to share their vision, build meaningful connections, and grow their practice.
For Students: Transforming the classroom experience by cultivating confidence, self-expression, and connection through art.
For Schools: Celebrating the unique identity of each school while fostering pride and community through collaborative art-making.
The group mission is driven by the belief that many Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students still lack access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Artists in Public Schools bring's professional artists into the public schools through paid residencies, empowering the artists and students, alike, to co-create artwork that captures each school's unique history and present. Artists in Public Schools closes opportunity gaps in the nation’s fourth-largest school district, ensuring Chicago's young people have the chance to explore their potential and tell their story through art.
As APS grows, they are advancing their mission to ensure the arts are not a privilege but a right and to help shape a future where every student, school, and artist has the chance to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
Read CGN's spring 2024 interview with Founder Suzette Bross Bulley
