8 Art-Focused Development Projects Awarded $340,000 In Grant Funding
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
Elevated Chicago and the MacArthur Foundation’s Elevating Culture Near Transit initiative supports community-led projects located near transit hubs across Chicago.
 | February 10, 2026 |
Injung Oh, founder of OH Art foundation, poses for a photo with Candace Hunter, a curator for the Black History Festival of the Arts, at an exhibition on Jan. 16, 2026. Credit: Provided
CHICAGO — OH Art Foundation founder Injung Oh was once unsure if her foundation could afford to put on its second annual Black History Festival of the Arts.
But when Elevated Chicago, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, announced late last year that OH Art would receive a $30,000 grant as part of its inaugural Elevating Culture Near Transit initiative, she was “ecstatic.”
“It saved our festival,” Oh said.
OH Art is one of eight Chicago arts and culture foundations receiving a total of $340,000 in grant money for the initiative, which looks to boost arts- and culture-based projects and developments located near transit hubs.
The goal of the grant program is to activate areas near transit hubs to help boost foot traffic, amplify neighbor voices and foster community minded development, according to Elevated Chicago.
“By investing in artists and community-led projects near transit, we’re strengthening local economies, building shared power, and shaping neighborhoods where culture, opportunity, and belonging can thrive,” said Juan Sebastian Arias, executive director of Elevated Chicago, in a statement.
The other groups to receive grant funding are:
Equicity (North and South Lawndale), $50,000: The grant will help develop the One Lawndale Movement Plaza, which will be the site of Equicity’s youth-led programming, community workshops and public art.
Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (Avondale, Humboldt Park), $50,000: The grant will fund the Puerto Rican Cultural Corridor: Murals, Music and Marketplaces initiative, which will activate spaces near CTA stations in the two neighborhoods with events and public art.
Quad Communities Development Corporation (Bronzeville), $50,000: The development corporation will now be able to launch its Bronzeville Commercial Corridors Public Art Iniative, which will bring 10 public art installations to the 43rd and 47th street corridors.
Root2Fruit Youth Foundation (Austin), $50,000: The grant will fund the Austin Artisan Market, which is a youth-led endeavor to bring an al fresco vendors market to a vacant lot near the Green Line.
Southeast Chamber of Commerce (Grand Crossing), $50,000: The chamber will use the funding to commission a Black and Brown unity mural in a 79th Street parklet.
The Kehrein Center for the Arts Foundation (Austin and Washington Park), $50,000: The grant will fund the “Love is on the (Green) Line” project, which will bring events to stations and commercial corridors along the Green Line in both neighborhoods.
One Aim High LLC (Bronzeville), $10,000: The grant will help establish “Sip, Paint & Garden,” a series of community wellness events to be held in a shared garden space.
A rendering of the Austin Artisan Market, planned to be an outdoor public market housing 12 to 15 local West Side businesses and entrepreneurs at a vacant lot directly across the Central CTA Green Line Stop, including the addresses of 5637 W. Lake St., 5631 W. Lake St. and 339 N. Parkside Ave.
The Black History Festival of the Arts, which started on Jan. 16 and runs through March 15, specifically aims to create a positive “ecosystem” between local arts and local retail in Bridgeport, Oh said. Through events like its panel discussion “Ink Stains: Black Writers and Artists,” hosted at Bad Owl Coffee Roasters, 3315 S Morgan St., the festival emphasizes bring art and community events to local businesses.
“We wanted to have those partnerships to feature different artists in the business setting, to bring the people to their business and support them,” she said.
Oh said the grant money was crucial in expanding the festival from featuring 25 artists last year to 39 this year and paying them for their work — something she is deeply grateful for, as compensation for creatives isn’t always guaranteed within events like hers.
Elevated Chicago is an initiative that works to promote equitable transit oriented development. Elevating Culture Near Transit is a three-year initiative with the MacArthur Foundation to boost development that centers arts and culture in neighborhoods.
