Hope has a way of finding the cracks in the concrete and blooming anyway. This summer, City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago is bringing that spirit directly to the streets with “Artistic Expressions of Hope,” a regional chalk art initiative designed to uplift communities, honor cancer survivors, and remind families that even in the hardest seasons, hope still has color.
From July 8 through July 11, artists impacted by cancer will create powerful chalk art installations across downtown Chicago, northern Illinois, and southeastern Wisconsin. The initiative will appear in nine locations, turning sidewalks, parks, libraries, wellness centers, and public gathering spaces into open-air canvases of remembrance, resilience, and healing.
For the millions of Americans touched by cancer each year, the journey is not only medical. It is emotional, spiritual, and deeply personal. City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago is using public art to speak to that full experience. With creative expression as the bridge, “Artistic Expressions of Hope” invites people to pause, reflect, and connect with stories of survivorship and strength.
The timing is meaningful. More Americans diagnosed with cancer are living longer, with 70 percent now surviving at least five years. That progress is powerful, but the emotional toll of cancer remains very real. Creative arts therapies have been shown to help reduce anxiety and depression while improving quality of life for people navigating cancer. In other words, art is not just decoration. Sometimes, it is medicine for the soul.
Pete Gorvorchin, M.B.A., president of City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago, shared that the center’s optimism is fueled by its patients and by the advanced treatments and research offered to the Chicagoland community every day. As the region’s only organization solely focused on preventing, treating, and curing cancer, City of Hope is taking its message beyond hospital walls and into the heart of the community.
Local support organizations are also recognizing the power of creativity. Kathleen Boss, Chief Program Officer at Gilda’s Club Chicago, noted that for nearly three decades, the organization has seen how art can help individuals and families process complex emotions, reconnect with themselves, and find peace during uncertainty.
One of the featured artists, Chicago-born artist and educator James Jankowiak, will unveil his work at Pioneer Court on July 11. His piece is inspired by remembrance, honoring those whose lives have been touched by cancer, including loved ones he has personally lost.
Artistic Expressions of Hope Schedule
Wednesday, July 8
2:00 p.m. – City of Hope Cancer Center North Shore
9300 Waukegan Rd., Morton Grove, IL 60053
Thursday, July 9
1:00 p.m. – City of Hope Cancer Center Zion
2520 Elisha Ave., Zion, IL 60099
6:00 p.m. – Antioch Park Bandshell
900 Skidmore Dr., Antioch, IL 60002
Friday, July 10
1:00 p.m. – Humboldt Park Health Wellness Center
2933 W. Division St., Chicago, IL 60622
6:00 p.m. – Chicago Union vs. New York Empire Ultimate Frisbee Game
2285 Church St., Evanston, IL 60201
Saturday, July 11
10:00 a.m. – Lake Forest Family Field Day with Unplug Illinois
Deerpath Community Park, 400 Hastings Rd., Lake Forest, IL 60045
11:00 a.m. – Pioneer Court
401 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
1:00 p.m. – Lake Forest Library
360 E. Deerpath Rd., Lake Forest, IL 60045
5:30 p.m. – Kenosha Kingfish Game
7817 Sheridan Rd., Kenosha, WI 53143
Community members are also invited to join the movement by creating their own chalk art and sharing photos on social media using #HopeLivesHere. Whether it is a ribbon, a name, a message, or a burst of color on a driveway or sidewalk, every drawing becomes part of a larger public love letter to those facing cancer.
With Artistic Expressions of Hope, City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago reminds us that healing can happen in clinics, in research labs, in family rooms, and yes, even on the pavement beneath our feet.
For more information, visit CityofHope.org.