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Suzette Bross (she/her)
Sophia Guadalupe Padgett Pérez (she/her/they/them)
Vero Rose Smith
Molly Kelly
Michael T. Noonan
Cheri Hubbard
Jenn Dixon
Kelly Costello
Yumi Ross
Marielle Lifshitz
Cyraina Johnson-Roullier
Smita Shah
Peter B. Smith
Susan Aaron
Teri Boyd
Nora Daley
Tricia Van Eck
Terry Evans
Vikki Hood
Karen Krehbiel
Carrie Lannon
Caroline Older
Lori Smedley
Gary Schechner
Matt Siber
Jan Tichy
Jay Wolke
Brooke Hummer
Jeff Phillips
CPS Lives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that pairs Chicago artists, designers, thinkers and makers with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project, sharing the unique and individual story of each Chicago Public School. Each story will be celebrated and exhibited throughout the city in local Chicago Public Library branches and other exhibition spaces, as well as existing on the CPS Lives social media and website as an accessible digital archive of public school history for students, families, community members, educators, administrators, policymakers & the general public.
The Chicago Public School system is the nations third largest school district, serving over 322,000 students in more than 630 schools. The sheer scale and complexity of the Chicago Public School system renders it opaque to the general public, where stories of its successes and resilience remain untold. This project shows the power of public education in Chicago. Our artists produce artwork that provide a unique window into the Chicago Public School system, generating support and reinforcing belief in the Chicago Public School mission “to provide a high quality public education for every child in every neighborhood”.
Learn MoreCPS Lives seeks to expand our knowledge of the space students inhabit through the work of our artists produced in the public schools. The artists seek to enlarge our understanding of the places students inhabit and their worldview through the use of cultural processes. How public spaces are enriched and developed through the presence of visual production increases the level of the students’ cultural literacy and becomes palpable to the larger civic community, both politically and culturally. This program creates ties to local communities through the exhibitions in their library branches and community centers. By creating this relationship in a public space we come to understand the complexity and importance of the public school system and the increasing importance of these public sites, their value, their diversity.
We want to hear from you! Please feel free to email us…
Learn MoreWe proudly appreciate support from our partners.
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Class of 2024
Class of 2023
Class of 2022
Class of 2021
Class of 2020
Class of 2019
Class of 2018
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Elementary School
Middle School
High School
Neighborhood School
Charter School
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CPS Lives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that pairs Chicago artists, designers, thinkers and makers with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project, sharing the unique and individual story of each Chicago Public School. Each story will be celebrated and exhibited throughout the city in local Chicago Public Library branches and other exhibition spaces, as well as existing on the CPS Lives social media and website as an accessible digital archive of public school history for students, families, community members, educators, administrators, policymakers & the general public.
The Chicago Public School system is the nations third largest school district, serving over 322,000 students in more than 630 schools. The sheer scale and complexity of the Chicago Public School system renders it opaque to the general public, where stories of its successes and resilience remain untold. This project shows the power of public education in Chicago. Our artists produce artwork that provide a unique window into the Chicago Public School system, generating support and reinforcing belief in the Chicago Public School mission “to provide a high quality public education for every child in every neighborhood”.
CPS Lives seeks to expand our knowledge of the space students inhabit through the work of our artists produced in the public schools. The artists seek to enlarge our understanding of the places students inhabit and their worldview through the use of cultural processes. How public spaces are enriched and developed through the presence of visual production increases the level of the students’ cultural literacy and becomes palpable to the larger civic community, both politically and culturally. This program creates ties to local communities through the exhibitions in their library branches and community centers. By creating this relationship in a public space we come to understand the complexity and importance of the public school system and the increasing importance of these public sites, their value, their diversity.
We want to hear from you! Please feel free to email us…
General Questions
— Info@cpslives.com
Executive Director
Suzette Bross — Suzettebross@cpslives.com
Artistic Director
Sophia Guadalupe Padgett Pérez — Sophiapadgettperez@cpslives.com
Director of Development
Vero Smith — Vsmith@cpslives.com
We proudly appreciate support from our partners.
New rankings show the top high schools and elementary schools in Illinois. We’re happy to say we have worked with 4 of the featured schools in the NewsBreak article. Congratulations to all CPS schools and specifically, Jones College Prep, Whitney Young, Lane Tech, and Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center.
To revisit the student collaborative projects with artists, click on the hyperlink for each school!
Each donation supports our organization, our artists, and the schools we work with! All donations are greatly appreciated, no matter the amount, your contribution helps CPS Lives make a difference!
The CPS Lives website was a gift from Columbia College Chicago. The branding, design system, and website, was created by a team of multi-disciplined students as part of the College's on-campus Internship program.
Jo-Nell Sieren, Project Manger
Students:
Dario Figueroa, UI/UX Designer
Emily Gorski, Graphic Designer
Nick Rissmeyer, Graphic Designer
Andrew C. Shike, UI/UX Designer, Web Developer (current maintainer)
Devina Yoestong, Photographer & Designer
