The agency is strongly committed to expanding public art across the transit system
As part of its commitment to expand public art at transit stations and terminals, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced the hiring of Chicago artist Judy Ledgerwood to create unique artwork for the Racine Blue Line station currently under construction.
“Nothing gives me greater joy than to have the opportunity to tap the talents of a local artist to enrich the transit riding experience and add yet more art to one of our rail stations,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “With each new piece of public art added to one of our facilities, we are not only beautifying the space but we’re also celebrating and contributing to the surrounding the community.”
Ms. Ledgerwood is an internationally recognized painter known for her canvases, monumental wall paintings and ceramics in which she marries abstract painting with the decorative arts. She is best known for her signature motif of the quatrefoil, a four-petal flower shape organized within triangles and chevrons and painted in bold color combinations.
Her work is included in prominent public collections including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles; the Milwaukee Museum of Art: the RATP transit art collection, Paris, France and Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland. Ms. Ledgerwood is a Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University.
For the Racine station, Ms. Ledgerwood is proposing a floor-to-ceiling ceramic tile installation in the main entrance.
The station is currently under construction and will have a new modernized look. This project is part of Phase 1 of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild.
The CTA provided $304,500 for the art project, which includes costs for design, engineering, fabrication, delivery, insurance and the artist’s fee. It is expected to be complete in early 2026.
This artwork is the latest in a series of new installations planned over the next few years, as CTA also recently issued a call for artists for new artwork to be added to the Austin and 43rd Green Line stations, plus two employee facilities – the newly constructed 63rd Non-Revenue Rail Vehicle Maintenance Facility and the soon to be built Operations Control and Training Center in West Garfield Park.
CTA’s collection of public art has nearly doubled over the last decade to include roughly 90 permanent works of art and dozens of temporary art installations across all eight rail lines and multiple bus facilities. This dynamic and immersive collection of public art includes mosaics, art glass, sculptures and interactive installations created by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, many of whom are local.
For more details on CTA’s public art collection, visit transitchicago.com/art.