The People’s Music School is honored to have been awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant for $240,000 over three years in Culture, Equity, and the Arts. We are proud to be among fifteen arts and culture organizations in Chicago who are working to expand access to the arts.
This grant will enable us to continue to grow our reach across Chicago and deepen our commitment to equity in the arts. With support from the MacArthur Foundation, we will be able to strengthen our programming, provide more resources for students and families, and ensure that young people—no matter their background or financial circumstances—can access the life-changing power of music education.
The Culture, Equity, and the Arts grant program recognizes organizations that are not only advancing creativity, but also making the arts more inclusive and representative of the diverse communities of our city. For The People’s Music School, this means supporting a student body that reflects the cultural richness of Chicago while building pathways to success both on and off the stage.
Every day, our students demonstrate the transformative impact of free, high-quality music education. They gain confidence, discipline, teamwork skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Many go on to college, careers in music, or leadership roles in other fields, carrying with them the values and resilience they developed through their training at TPMS.
We are proud to stand alongside the other incredible recipients of this grant, all of whom are working tirelessly to make Chicago a more vibrant and equitable city for artists and audiences alike. Together, we are helping to create a future where the arts are not a privilege, but a right accessible to every child and every community.
Thank you to the MacArthur Foundation for enabling us to continue transforming lives through tuition-free music education.
Learn more about the grant and recipients here.