The Chicago Public Art Group

For over 20 years, Chicago Public Art Group has united communities and artists in producing high quality public art. Since our beginning as the Chicago Mural Group, we have placed equal emphasis on artistic excellence and community involvement.

Neighborhood Revitalization Through Cultural Activism

Culture plays a vital role in development. Through art, communities develop a sense of their history and future. Through CPAG, the initiative and the imagination of artists are placed at the service of communities. Our artworks develop in a group process and are enriched by the works' origin in the insight of many people.

Social service organizations, neighborhood associations, schools, business groups, and labor organizations have served as co-sponsors with CPAG in creating over 150 murals, mosaics, and sculptures. CPAG artists in collaboration with landscape designers, architects and engineers have transformed unremarkable spaces such as foyers, underpasses and parks into community  landmarks.

Artistic Growth and Diversity

Like a repertory company, CPAG works with a core group of professional artists. These artists have developed the technical and organizing skills to make site-specific, audience-responsive work. CPAG artists work in permanent paint media, cement relief and sculpture, ceramic and glass mosaic and non-traditional media. Through apprenticeships, CPAG works to continually introduce new artists to the field of community-based public artwork. CPAG is a gathering place in which public artists from the diverse communities of the Chicago area share ideas and technical information.

International Dialogue

CPAG is actively involved in the shaping of the international community arts movement. We participate in project and artist exchanges.

Chicago's Living Legacy of Public Art

CPAG supports the artists, community dialogue and public artworks which have made Chicago world famous for its strong and innovative community arts movement. Our projects have received numerous awards for design excellence, beautification, and community development.