Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education

What Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education does

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization founded in 1992 and headquartered at 1010 W 35th Street in Chicago, Illinois. It partners with Chicago Public Schools, West Chicago Elementary School District 33, and other districts to deliver long-term, classroom-based arts integration. Its core methodology, the Artist/Researcher Model, pairs 81 professional teaching artists with classroom teachers for multi-year collaborative curriculum design and co-teaching in visual arts, music, theater, dance, digital media, and creative writing. Programs are provided at no cost to students, families, schools, and teachers; CAPE supports each teaching partner with a minimum of 15 hours of professional development.

CAPE operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Artist/Researcher Partners Program and 21st Century Community Learning Centers–funded after-school programs as core offerings, supplemented by the Collaboration Laboratory (CoLab), the WORKROOM open-studio residency, the Youth Music Exchange (curated with DCASE), and an international NAEA ECAE: Voices exhibition. Since 2023, the Bridgeport gallery has served as a public-facing venue for student exhibitions and community events. As of FY25, CAPE serves 36 partner schools and roughly 1,700 unique students annually, supported by 81 teaching artists and 180 educators receiving professional development.

The revenue model is grant- and donation-led. Major disclosed funding includes a $540,000 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant from the Illinois State Board of Education (2021), a $60,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant (2021), and a $20,000 Arts DuPage grant from the DuPage Foundation (2024). Secondary revenue streams include individual donations, planned giving, gallery rental, and the annual ARTJOY fundraiser ($150 tickets). CAPE is affiliated with the national Young Audiences network. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; estimates place annual operating revenue in the $1M-$5M range based on headcount of 44 employees and partnership scale. In 2025, the expiration of two major federal and state grants forced a reduction of after-school sites from 13 to 6, and CAPE has mounted an active advocacy campaign (1,000+ letters to legislators) against the proposed FY26 elimination of the Full-Service Community Schools grant.

Name

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education

Legal name

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education

Website

https://capechicago.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) is a nonprofit founded in 1992 that partners with Chicago-area school districts to deliver free, research-based arts integration, pairing professional teaching artists with classroom teachers across 36 partner schools and roughly 1,700 K-12 students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Arts integration services
• K-12 arts education
• Teaching artist partnerships
• After-school programs
• Arts education research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from government and foundation grants including 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding from US Department of Education and Illinois State Board of Education. EIN# 36-3969334.
2. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting arts education programs
3. Fundraising Events: Annual ARTJOY fundraiser featuring live art, performances, student showcases, and silent auction. Ticket price $150.
4. Gallery Revenue: CAPE's Bridgeport gallery serves as a community hub with potential for earned revenue through exhibitions, workshops, and events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAPE delivers arts-integrated education programs by partnering professional teaching artists with Chicago Public Schools and West Chicago Elementary School District 33 teachers, providing in-school residencies, after-school programs funded by 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants, teacher professional development, student exhibitions at its Bridgeport gallery, and ancillary programs such as WORKROOM residencies and the Youth Music Exchange. All programs are provided at no cost to participating students, families, and schools.

Product overview

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) is a non-profit arts education organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include the Artist/Researcher Partners Program for in-school arts integration and After-School Programs through 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants. Supporting programs include the Collaboration Laboratory (CoLab) for collaborative development, Youth Music Exchange for music education, and WORKROOM studio residencies. CAPE provides extensive Professional Development services to educators and teaching artists. The organization operates a Bridgeport gallery space that hosts major exhibitions including Convergence, Perspective(s), and ARTJOY (the annual fundraiser). The program portfolio integrates visual arts, music, theater, dance, digital media, and creative writing into traditional academic subjects across Chicago Public Schools and suburban districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist/Researcher Partners Program In-school arts integration residencies pairing professional teaching artists with Chicago Public Schools teachers for long-term classroom partnerships. Teachers and artists co-design curricula and co-teach arts-integrated lessons in visual arts, music, theater, dance, digital media, and creative writing.
• After-School Programs (21st Century Community Learning Centers) After-school arts-integrated programs for elementary and K-12 students across Chicago and West Chicago schools, funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants from the US Department of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education. Programs include arts activities and parent classes.
• Professional Development for Teachers and Teaching Artists Training and ongoing support for partner-school teachers and non-teaching staff, providing a minimum of 15 hours of professional development per teaching partner, collaborative curriculum design sessions, and ongoing coaching on arts integration.
• Bridgeport Gallery Exhibitions A gallery space in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood (opened 2023) hosting exhibitions, workshops, and community gatherings that showcase student artwork and teaching artist work, including exhibitions such as Convergence and Perspective(s).
• WORKROOM Artist Residency Annual open-form studio residency program transforming the CAPE gallery into dedicated art studios for teaching artists and teachers from the CAPE network, supporting artists' continued studio practice and experimentation.
• Youth Music Exchange (YME) Music exchange program curated by CAPE with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for the Year of Chicago Music, uniting youth ensembles from across the city through digital pen-pal exchanges and culminating in-person exchange events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,700 unique students served across in-school and after-school programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider ArtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026IntuiTeens initiative hosted at CAPE during WORKROOM 2024, part of Intuit's teen programming
• Edith Farnsworth HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2024Historic site partnered with CAPE West Chicago summer program for field trip, connecting students to modern architecture and art exhibitions
• Mexican Cultural Center DuPageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2024Cultural organization partnered with Edith Farnsworth House for workshops in West Chicago featuring artist Javier Chavira's circular abstract art pieces
• Girls Rock ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2021Youth music organization participating in Youth Music Exchange program alongside Jazz Institute
• Jazz InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2021Chicago jazz organization partnering with Girls Rock Chicago in Youth Music Exchange program
• MusicHousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2021Music education organization partnered with UpBeat in Youth Music Exchange program
• UpBeatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2021Music organization partnered with MusicHouse in Youth Music Exchange program
• West Chicago Elementary School District 33coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2021CAPE's first suburban school district partner for after-school programming. Illinois State Board of Education approved a $540,000 grant to District 33 with CAPE as co-applicant as part of 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. CAPE provides arts-integrated after-school programming at Currier, Gary, Pioneer Elementary Schools and Leman Middle School. Each school offers classes for qualifying students plus a parent art class.
• Intonation MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2021Music education organization partnered with North-Grand High School CAPE After School Music Club in Youth Music Exchange
• North-Grand High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2021Chicago Public Schools high school with CAPE After School Music Club participating in Youth Music Exchange with Intonation Music
• Old Town School of Folk MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2020Major Chicago music education institution partnered with Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra in Youth Music Exchange #2
• Chicago Youth Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2020Youth symphony orchestra partnered with Old Town School of Folk Music in Youth Music Exchange #2
• Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 202021-year-old music and arts nonprofit centered around Avondale/Logan Square neighborhoods developing culturally enriching programs while encouraging appreciation for Puerto Rican heritage. Participated in Youth Music Exchange with Telpochcalli School students.
• Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2020Partnership for Youth Music Exchange program as part of Year of Chicago Music initiative. CAPE curates the program which empowers and unites youth from across the city through music exchanges. Youth ensembles are matched and participate in digital pen-pal exchanges and culminating exchange events.
• Young AudiencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPE is affiliated with Young Audiences, a national arts education organization supporting arts integration in schools
• A Flor De PielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic ensemble based in Little Village working with Telpochcalli School and CAPE to explore diverse repertoire reflecting members' cultural heritage. Participated in Youth Music Exchange with Puerto Rican Arts Alliance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• National Art Education Association (NAEA): National professional association for arts educators, hosting conferences and advocacy for arts in schools. Adjacent ecosystem stakeholder rather than direct program provider; CAPE partners with NAEA on the Voices Exhibition.

Direct peers

• Ingenuity (Ingenuity Inc., Chicago): Chicago-based nonprofit working to expand access to arts education in CPS through data, research, and coalition-building. Direct local peer serving many of the same schools and student populations.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: National network of affiliated arts-in-education nonprofits delivering teaching-artist residencies in K-12 schools. CAPE is a direct affiliate; comparable on mission, artist-in-residence model, and school partnership approach.
• Education Through Music: Nonprofit that partners teaching artists with classroom teachers to deliver music and arts integration in underserved schools. Same Artist/Researcher-style partnership architecture as CAPE.
• Inner-City Arts (Los Angeles): Nonprofit providing arts education to underserved youth through in-school and after-school programs with professional teaching artists in visual and performing arts. Highly comparable program portfolio and target community.
• Community Music Center of Boston (or similar community music/arts ed nonprofit): Nonprofit community music and arts school serving K-12 students through classes and partnerships. Comparable mission of expanding access to arts education in a regional metro footprint.
• Wolf Trap Foundation for Education: National nonprofit providing arts-integrated early childhood and PreK-12 education programs pairing professional artists with teachers. Directly comparable artist-in-classroom model and curriculum partner relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center Education: Large established arts institution with substantial school-based arts education programming and PD for teachers. Overlaps in mission and K-12 reach but operates from a broader performing arts anchor.
• Carnegie Hall Education Programs: Major performing arts institution running school partnerships and arts-integrated PD programs. Comparable teacher-artist collaboration model at larger institutional scale.

Regional players

• Jazz Institute of Chicago: Chicago nonprofit focused on jazz music education, youth ensembles, and artist residencies. Geographic peer that participates in CAPE's Youth Music Exchange and shares the teaching-artist-residency approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAPEChicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/capechicago/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAPE.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-arts-partnerships-in-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/CAPEchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education