We Are ChiArts:
A Legacy Built Together
As the ChiArts Foundation prepares to sunset on June 30, 2026, we are filled with gratitude for the people who made this journey possible. What began as a bold idea grew into a vibrant community of scholar-artists, educators, families, donors, and advocates who believed in the power of arts education. Together, you helped create opportunities, launch dreams, and build a legacy that will continue through every student whose life was shaped by ChiArts.
’09 ChiArts Opens its Doors
’13 Inaugural Class Graduates with First Commencement
’14 Creative Writing Conservatory Founded
’19 ChiArts Celebrates 10 Years of Arts Education
’25 Chicago Board of Education Votes “Yes” For ChiArts as District School
The Vision that Started it All
ChiArts was founded to address a critical equity gap in Chicago’s cultural landscape. While the city was home to world-class arts institutions, there was no public high school offering rigorous, pre-professional arts training to talented young people from every neighborhood.
Civic, philanthropic, and arts leaders recognized that high school years represent a pivotal opportunity to invest in the next generation of artists, especially for students who may never have had access to formal arts training.
From the beginning, ChiArts was built on a simple but powerful belief:
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
Following years of planning and advocacy, ChiArts was approved by the Chicago Board of Education in 2007 and opened its doors in 2009 as Chicago’s first tuition-free, pre-professional arts high school. The founding leaders and champions pictured above (from left to right: Teresa Milsap, José Ochoa, Sondra Berman Epstein, Betsy Holden, Sandra Guthman, Kay and Jim Mabie) helped transform an ambitious idea into a thriving institution that would serve thousands of scholar-artists over the next seventeen years.
17 YEARS OF FULFILLING the MISSION
The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) develops the next generation of diverse, artistically promising scholar-artists through intensive pre-professional training in the arts, combined with a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum.
$40 Million Funds raised in support of the Arts Conservatories
4.5 Million Total Hours of Pre-Professional Arts Training
The People Behind The Promise
Behind every performance, exhibition, publication, graduation, and standing ovation is a community of people who made it possible.
ChiArts has always been more than a school. It is a community built by visionary leaders, dedicated educators, working artists, supportive families, generous donors, committed board members, and passionate alumni. Each played a role in helping young artists discover their potential and pursue their dreams.
Together, these individuals created a learning environment where creativity, excellence, and belonging could thrive. The ChiArts community includes:
- School Leadership
- Academic Educators
- Teaching Artists
- Support & Operations Staff
- ChiArts School Board
- ChiArts Foundation Staff & Board
- Alumni Network
- Parents, Guardians, & Families
- Donors
- Community Supporters & Volunteers
- Arts & Civic Partners
ChiArts changes lives
“ChiArts doesn’t just teach art. It teaches acceptance, confidence, and courage. It gives students the tools to express the beauty and truth inside of them, especially at a time when so many young people feel uneasy, disconnected, or unseen… My child has found her tribe.” – Araceli Madrigal, ChiArts Parent
50/50 Chicago Wards Represented
65% Novice Scholar-Artists
98% Graduation rate*
+1,800 Scholar-Artists Served
Everything You Made Possible
Every performance, publication, exhibition, scholarship, and success story began with an investment in a young person and their potential.
Through pre-professional conservatory training, rigorous academics, and meaningful mentorship, scholar-artists received opportunities rarely available within a public high school setting, all tuition-free. By graduation, every ChiArts scholar-artist completed more than 2,500 hours of pre-professional arts training while balancing a college-preparatory academic curriculum.
National Stages. Real Opportunities.
ChiArts scholar-artists received opportunities to perform for audiences across the U.S. through a range of partnerships with high-profile arts and entertainment institutions, providing real-world performance experience and national exposure rarely accessible at the high school level. In Chicago, students regularly trained with and performed alongside leading cultural institutions including The Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Columbia College Chicago, offering direct access to the city’s professional arts ecosystem. Beyond Chicago, students engaged with nationally recognized organizations such as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, while also participating in unique, high-visibility projects, including a collaboration with Netflix’s “Louder Than Words” initiative, placing their work on a national stage.
Learning from Working Artists
Across all five conservatories, coursework included classes such as Fiction and Poetry Foundations and Writer’s Studio (Creative Writing); Ballet and Pointe Technique and Modern Dance (Dance); Composition, Songwriting, and Music Production, and Music Theory and Aural Skills (Music); Theatre History and New Work Creation, and Movement and Voice for the Actor (Theatre); and Advanced Studio Practice and Portfolio Development, and Professional Practices and Curation (Visual Arts). This training built both technical proficiency and artistic maturity, preparing students for competitive post-secondary programs and creative careers.
The Development of the Scholar-Artist
ChiArts cultivates the identity of the scholar-artist, an individual who merges scholarly inquiry with artistic practice, bridging intellectual rigor and creative expression. At their core, a scholar-artist balances academics and art as interdependent disciplines, understanding that artistic growth is process-driven rather than product-focused. Students are taught that sustained practice—seeing, listening, reflecting, and engaging with the world—is essential to becoming both a stronger artist and a more grounded thinker. This integrated approach positions students to develop discipline, critical thinking, and creative fluency simultaneously, preparing them for both rigorous academic environments and professional artistic pathways.
A Culture of Excellence and Care
ChiArts is also defined by a culture of excellence grounded in care, belonging, and mutual support, where high expectations are paired with a deep commitment to student well-being.
Within this environment, students are encouraged not only to excel artistically and academically, but also to develop confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of self. As students describe, this culture is deeply felt in their daily experience: “As a young trans girl, I’ve never felt more accepted than at a place like ChiArts…a public, accessible, and inclusive institution dedicated to the arts and making people’s dreams come true,” shares Sky Bhutt, Theatre ‘26. Similarly, Amare’ David Agboyi, Dance ‘27, reflects, “ChiArts is a place where we belong, grow, and become who we’re meant to be…what we do at ChiArts—supporting each other and protecting each other—is everything.” Together, these voices reflect a school environment where artistic excellence and human care are intentionally intertwined.
YOUR SUPPORT REDEFINED ARTS IN CHICAGO:
“The first performance we attended—right after our daughter was accepted—was the senior showcase for the Dance Conservatory. It was that night that I realized what ‘pre-professional’ truly meant. The young men and women on that stage could just as easily have been performing on any of the stages downtown. And that happens because of the conservatory model.” –Ethan Guzman Barone, ChiArts Parent
+300 Arts & Community Partnerships
+600 Teaching Artists Employed
+1,000 Productions & Exhibitions Presented
CARRYING IT FORWARD
ChiArts’ impact doesn’t stop after graduation, our alumni have gone on to carry the creativity and excellence of the scholar-artist to communities around the world.
As of 2026, the ChiArts story continues through more than 1,800 alumni who are shaping communities, industries, and artistic fields across Chicago and around the world. Graduates have gone on to attend leading colleges, conservatories, and universities; launch careers in the arts and beyond; and contribute to their communities as educators, performers, writers, designers, entrepreneurs, and advocates. Many have also returned to ChiArts as teaching artists, mentors, and supporters, helping the next generation of scholar-artists discover what is possible.
- Alabama A&M Univ.
- Alabama State Univ.
- AMDA Coll. of the Performing Arts
- Arapahoe Community Coll.
- Arizona State Univ.
- Art Academy of Cincinnati
- Aurora Univ.
- Augsburg Univ.
- Bard Coll.
- Berklee Coll. of Music
- Boston Univ.
- Bradley Univ.
- Brown Univ.
- Buffalo State Univ.
- California Inst. of the Arts
- Carnegie Mellon Univ.
- Carthage Coll.
- Chamberlain Univ. – Coll. of Nursing
- Chapman Univ.
- Chicago Coll. of Performing Arts (Roosevelt Univ.)
- Chicago State Univ.
- Clark Atlanta Univ.
- Coll. for Creative Studies
- Coll. of DuPage
- Columbia Coll. Chicago
- DePaul Univ.
- DePauw Univ.
- Denmark Coll.
- Dominican Univ.
- Drake Univ.
- Eastman School of Music
- Elmhurst Univ.
- Emerson Coll.
- Fayetteville State Univ.
- George Mason Univ.
- Grambling State Univ.
- Hampton Univ.
- Hampshire Coll.
- Harold Washington Coll.
- Harry S Truman Coll.
- Hofstra Univ.
- Howard Univ.
- Houston Univ.
- Illinois Inst. of Technology
- Illinois State Univ.
- Indiana State Univ.
- Jackson State Univ.
- Jarvis Coll.
- Kansas City Art Inst.
- Kennedy-King Coll.
- Kenyon Coll.
- Knox Coll.
- Lawrence Univ.
- Lewis Univ.
- LIM Coll.
- Lincoln Coll. of Technology
- Loyola Marymount Univ.
- Loyola Univ. Chicago
- Loyola Univ. New Orleans
- Macalester Coll.
- Malcolm X Coll.
- Marymount Manhattan Coll.
- Middlebury Coll.
- Michigan State Univ.
- Milwaukee Inst. of Art & Design
- Moraine Valley Community Coll.
- Morgan State Univ.
- Morton Coll.
- Mount Holyoke Coll.
- National Louis Univ.
- New Mexico Inst. of Mining & Technology
- New York Univ.
- North Carolina A&T State Univ.
- North Park Univ.
- Northwestern Univ.
- Northern Illinois Univ.
- Northeastern Illinois Univ.
- Northeastern Univ.
- Nova Southeastern Univ.
- Oberlin Coll. & Conservatory
- Ohio Univ.
- Olive-Harvey Coll.
- Oregon State Univ.
- Johns Hopkins Univ. (Peabody Institute)
- Point Park Univ.
- Pomona Coll.
- Pratt Inst.
- Purchase Coll. (SUNY)
- State Univ. of New York (SUNY system)
- Purdue Univ.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.
- Richard J. Daley Coll.
- Ringling Coll. of Art & Design
- Rockford Univ.
- Roosevelt Univ.
- Saint Xavier Univ.
- San Diego State Univ.
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- Savannah Coll. of Art & Design
- School of the Art Inst. of Chicago
- Smith Coll.
- Spalding Univ.
- Spelman Coll.
- St. Olaf Coll.
- Syracuse Univ.
- Temple Univ.
- Taylor Univ.
- Tennessee State Univ.
- Texas Southern Univ.
- The New School
- Univ. of Arizona
- Univ. of Texas at Austin
- Tricoci Univ. of Beauty Culture
- Triton Coll.
- Tufts Univ.
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles
- Univ. of California, Riverside
- Univ. of Cincinnati
- Univ. of Colorado Boulder
- Univ. of Denver
- Univ. of Illinois Chicago
- Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Univ. of Iowa
- Univ. of Kentucky
- Univ. of Louisville
- Univ. of Miami
- Univ. of Michigan
- Univ. of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Univ. of Missouri–Kansas City
- Univ. of New Haven
- Univ. of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Univ. of Oregon
- Univ. of Pennsylvania
- Univ. of San Francisco
- Univ. of Southern California
- Univ. of St. Thomas
- Univ. of Texas at San Antonio
- Univ. of Toronto
- Univ. of Virginia
- Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison
- Univ. of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
- VanderCook Coll. of Music
- Virginia Commonwealth Univ.
- Wagner Coll.
- Wartburg Coll.
- Western Illinois Univ.
- Western Michigan Univ.
- Wheaton Coll.
- Wilbur Wright Coll.
ChiArts Alumni have gone on to work professionally on Broadway stages and Hollywood backlots, to local Chicago institutions, national non-profits, and global franchises. There has been truly no limit to where a ChiArts alum goes— whether that’s pursuing their dream of winning Artist of the Year or starting their own business.
Ravyn Lenae
Ravyn Lenae is a critically acclaimed R&B singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Raised on the city’s South Side, she developed her distinct sound through classical vocal training at The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), graduating in 2017. Lenae’s career took off rapidly during her high school years, culminating in a signing with Atlantic Records and a breakout placement on the Billboard charts with her hit single, “Love Me Not.” Recognized for her ethereal vocals and genre-blending style, she has toured alongside major acts like SZA and Noname, and regularly collaborates with top-tier industry figures including Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, and Kaytranada. Following her highly praised early EPs, she solidified her place in contemporary R&B with celebrated full-length projects, including her album Bird’s Eye. Today, she balances a global music career with giving back to her roots, having visited ChiArts in 2025 to mentor the next generation of young artists.
Moisés Salazar
Moisés Salazar Tlatenchi is a Chicago-based non-binary, multidisciplinary contemporary artist whose work centers on the intersection of identity, immigration, and queer safety. A 2015 graduate of the Visual Arts Conservatory at The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), they later returned to their alma mater to mentor students as a Teaching Assistant for AP Sculpture. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and create vibrant, textured works using everyday materials like yarn, glitter, papier-mâché, and clay to craft safe, celebratory environments for queer and immigrant bodies. Salazar’s acclaimed pieces have been exhibited internationally and at major cultural landmarks, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Allison Bystron
Allison Bystron is a classically trained soprano, vocal instructor, and music educator. An alumna of The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), she now serves her alma mater as a Choir Director and Arts Administrative Assistant. Additionally, she teaches private lessons and directs music at Forevermore Dance & Theatre Arts. Allison holds a Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from Indiana University Bloomington, where she performed with the Singing Hoosiers. As a versatile vocalist, her performance experience spans orchestral collaborations, musical theater, and multi-language classical repertoire.
Jordyn Birden
Jordyn Birden is a Chicago-based educator, vocalist, actress, and comedian. An alumna of The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), she originally trained as a vocal major before returning to her alma mater as a music educator and faculty advisor, where she co-produces student events like the annual Black Culture Showcase. Jordyn holds a degree in vocal performance from Virginia Tech and later transitioned into improvisational comedy, graduating from both the Conservatory and Graduate programs at The Second City. A versatile performer, she regularly appears across the Chicago theater circuit, with stage and ensemble credits at The Second City, The Den Theatre, The Annoyance Theater, and The Bughouse Theater.
Alex Roy
Alexander Roy is a former professional ballet dancer and current arts administrator. He serves as the Artistic Coordinator for the Colorado Symphony, managing artistic operations and guest artist relations. Roy began his classical training at The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), where he became one of the school’s first finalists at the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix. He spent six seasons dancing professionally with major companies, including the Atlanta Ballet and the Colorado Ballet. Transitioning from the stage to arts leadership, Roy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and worked with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Management from the University of Illinois.
Amorita Falcon
Amorita Falcon is a professional dancer, instructor, and community development practitioner based in Chicago. A dedicated leader within her creative community, she’s an active member of the ChiArts Alumni Network where she works to strengthen and advocate for the school’s community. Performing under the name Amorita la Única, she is a prominent local dance instructor known for hosting specialized workshops and public events like “Salsa Before Sunset.” Professionally, Amorita blends her passion for the arts with economic advocacy, focusing on corporate and public-private partnerships that drive funding and resources into historically disinvested neighborhoods.
Playlist Featuring Music by ChiArts Alumni
ChiArts changes lives
“This decision to attend ChiArts was my first major move towards bettering my career and life, and it was a privilege. Attending any other high school at the time would have been a very different experience, not to mention it would have put me on a different path. I definitely would have been written off as the troublemaker at any other school, but the ChiArts community of teachers recognized my potential and steered me in the right direction, a more focused direction. Through practice, strong work ethic and lots of patience, I went from an insecure thirteen-year old to knowing exactly who and what I wanted to be.” – La’Charles Trask, ChiArts Alum
+25 Alumni Hired at ChiArts
+150 Post-Secondary Institutions Represented
champions of chiarts
From the beginning, ChiArts was powered by a remarkable community of believers.
While thousands of individuals and organizations helped sustain ChiArts over the years, the following philanthropic partners provided extraordinary leadership and investment, helping build the foundation upon which generations of scholar-artists learned, created, and thrived.
Zell Family Foundation
Since 2009, we have been shaped and strengthened by an extraordinary group of dedicated Board members. Captured here at our annual—and final—benefit Kerfuffle! in 2025, the civic leaders pictured above served on both the School and Foundation Boards. Each has been a steadfast pillar of philanthropic leadership, driving transformational, community-shaping impact.
the work lives on
Every generation faces a complex world with no handbook, but with a unique story to tell formed by a deep well of experiences and life history. ChiArts was founded to offer a place and community where the young artists of Chicago can safely explore, hone, develop, express, and grow into their whole person through arts training. As our societal, political, and technological climate continues to change around us, we turn to our current and future artists to show us who we are, remind us what we value, and illuminate the world we live in. Over the last 17 years, ChiArts dedicated itself to the care and enrichment of Chicago’s young artists—no matter their zip code, socioeconomic status, or background. While our organization sunsets, their need does not. Many young artists in the city continue to seek opportunities to help make their passions come to life.
Our parting hope is that our community of supporters finds more ways to create arts access, continue to care for scholar-artists, and show our city what happens when young people have the freedom and power to create. We aren’t saying goodbye, we’re saying “let’s keep going!” Thank you for being part of this once-in-a-lifetime initiative. May you find art wherever you go, and may our work live on through it.
-The ChiArts Foundation
