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Arts and Public Life

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Arts and Public Life

Arts + Public Life (APL) is a dynamic hub of exploration, expression, and exchange that centers peopl Learn more at artsandpubliclife.org

As a neighborhood platform for arts and culture in Washington Park, APL provides residencies for for local artists and creative entrepreneurs, arts education for youth, and artist-led programming and exhibitions. Arts + Public Life (APL) is an initiative of UChicago Arts, and thrives thanks to the support of a community of generous donors whose gifts have sustained the Arts + Public Life initiative, Arts Incubator (+ Gallery and Woodshop), Green Line Performing Arts Center, L1 Creative Business Accelerator and Retail Shop, and the vibrant creativity happening every day on the Arts Block on historic Garfield Boulevard in Washington Park.

09/13/2026

We’re wrapping up an incredible Season 13 of First Monday Jazz on the Arts Lawn while kicking off Chicago Exhibition Week! Don't miss out—swipe to see what’s happening this week on the Arts Block, and register via the link in our bio.

Sept 14 | First Monday Jazz- Clif Wallace Big Band
Sept 16 | Sunset Yoga
Sept 19 | CHICAGO EXHIBITION WEEK—FIRST LOOK: Intentionality, 1960: Whose Dreams?

09/10/2026

This Monday marks our final FMJ of the season, and we’re closing things out with this season's curator, Clif Wallace, taking the stage with the Clif Wallace Big Band.

We are so deeply thankful to our amazing audience—we couldn't have asked for a better community to share this season with. Let’s bring this incredible season to a close together.

First Monday Jazz- Clif Wallace Big Band | Monday, September 14
*Attendees may start setting up their spots starting at 6:00pm. The program begins at 7:00pm.
*We encourage bringing your blanket or a low-profile lawn chair to relax in the front seating on the grass.
*For APL events on the Arts Lawn, restrooms are available inside the Green Line Performing Arts Center.

09/09/2026

Today is the day to lock in your weekend. This Saturday’s panel, Vulnerability as Legacy, is loaded with industry powerhouses. Get to know the lineup below, then grab a spot for you and a friend.

is a writer, editor, and Chicago Tribune music critic dedicated to the underground and the avant-garde. From The Cut and Pitchfork to the New York Times, Britt’s award-winning journalism captures the heartbeat of modern culture.

is a Chicago-born selector, sonic historian, and keeper of the dancefloor. From her residency at Smartbar to building bridges between Chicago and Detroit's musical legacies via the I-94 Legacy Project, her raw, pulse-driven sets cut straight to the soul.

A master of her craft and a powerhouse for representation, sn't just a house music icon—she's a history maker. From breaking barriers as Lollapalooza’s first Black female DJ to steering the industry via the Recording Academy’s Board of Governors, she continues to set the bar for electronic music worldwide.

South Side Chicago's creates mesmerizing sonic dreamscapes that channel ancestral wisdom into the future. Powered by her dynamic, multi-ranged alto voice, her sound is an immersive experience you have to feel live.

Chicago-born DJ and performance artist building bridges across electronic subcultures. Having moved rooms across Smartbar, Smoke & Mirrors, Podlasie Club, and Miyagi Records, their sets are a dynamic fusion of bass, raw sampling, and total genre fluidity.

Vulnerability as Legacy
Saturday, September 12 | 6:00PM-9:00PM
Green Line Performing Arts Center | 329 East Garfield Boulevard

09/08/2026

It's the first full week of September and we have some exciting things happening on the Arts Block! Join us on the Arts Lawn and come hang out on Saturday evening for some inspiring discussion and music. Learn more below and register via the link in our bio.

September 9 | Sunset Yoga
September 12 | Vulnerability as Legacy

09/03/2026

Opening September 24
Intentionality, 1960: Whose Dreams?
by Candace Hunter

What happens after a place is remade—and what gets lost when history is paved over?

In Intentionality, 1960: Whose Dreams?, Chicago artist Candace Hunter examines the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway and the Black communities displaced in its path. Extending her project 50,831 +/– Dreams, Hunter looks beyond physical loss to trace the disrupted routes, relationships, and ordinary intimacies left behind.

Through photographic collage, installation, architectural fragments, sound, and oral histories—including first-person accounts gathered during her Memory Teas—Hunter brings recorded history into conversation with lived memory. The exhibition asks us to reconsider the landscape as it exists now, complicating official archives and staying with what persists in the wake of displacement.

Exhibition Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 24 | 6:00-8:00pm
Arts Incubator Gallery | 301 E. Garfield Blvd
Link in Bio to register

09/02/2026

Some songs don't just stay on the charts—they linger in your chest. The ones that stick around, from Mariah Carey to Tina Turner to Cher to Robyn, do so because they trade polished celebrity protection for total, uncomfortable honesty.

Britt Julious—music critic and 2023 Chicago Critics Table Cohort member—dives into why emotional vulnerability is the secret ingredient behind music that actually lasts. Come out for an evening featuring a live DJ set, panel discussion, interactive stations, and an after-event dance party.

Tap the link in our bio to reserve your spot.

Vulnerability as Legacy
September 12 | 6:00 -9:00 PM
Green Line Performing Arts Center | 329 East Garfield Boulevard

09/01/2026

Happy September! Technically summer is not over yet, so we have some incredible programs happening on the Arts Lawn including the final First Monday Jazz of the 2026 Season featuring Clif Wallace Big Band.

We are excited to announce that September 24th is the exhibition opening of Chicago artist, and 2024 APL Artist-in-Residence Alum, Candace Hunters latest exhibition Intentionality, 1960: Whose Dreams?

Scroll to learn more about upcoming programming and tap the link in our bio to register!

08/31/2026

It's a quiet week on the Arts Block as get ready for an incredible month of September programming.

Take some time to breathe, stretch and center yourself at Sunset Yoga this Wednesday evening.

08/28/2026

Preserving the Rhythm of First Monday Jazz: A conversation with our 2026 curator on geography, history, and Chicago’s South Side.

Swipe to read how Clif Wallace curated this season's lineup to honor the rich legacy of Chicago’s South Side music scene, then tap the link in bio to read the full interview.

Interview by Alyssa Gregory + Liu Yang
Edited + Designed by: Alyssa Gregory
Photography by: Joel Maisonet + Lyric Newbern

08/26/2026

Interested in learning behind-the-scenes theater tech, or curious about designing and building things for your community? Applications are officially live for the 2026 Fall Edu Session. Apply today for the Design Apprenticeship Program or the Backstage Production Program!

This is a unique, paid opportunity for young creatives to gain hands-on experience while building a creative network.

If this sounds interesting to you—or someone you know—pass this post along to them.

Link in bio to apply!

Address

301 E Garfield Boulevard
Chicago, IL
60637

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	12pm - 5pm

Website

https://artsandpubliclife.org/

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