Chicago's 'Cultural Stadium' Project Names Donna Lasinski President

Donna Lasinski, a former Michigan state representative, takes charge of Chicago's "Cultural Stadium" as the project's inaugural president, the initiative announced Wednesday. The appointment moves a years-in-the-abstract plan to reinvent Downtown Chicago as an arts-filled district into execution mode.

The project carries $2 million in private, corporate and government backing. Lou Raizin, president and CEO of Broadway In Chicago, created the concept, which aims to weave arts and culture into the daily lives of Chicagoans — especially people working in or visiting the Loop. Under Lasinski's leadership, the group says it will "transform existing infrastructure and underused public spaces into new cultural experiences," according to a news release.

The six-figure seed gift came from two cultural figures: Abby O'Neil, a founding board member of the Harris Theater, and Carroll Joynes, co-founder of the University of Chicago's Cultural Policy Center.

Who is Donna Lasinski?

Lasinski isn't a newcomer to the effort. She has served as the Cultural Stadium's senior adviser since April, and she brings a background in politics, education and public service. Her LinkedIn lists a term as a trustee on the Ann Arbor Public Schools school board from 2014 to 2016 and the founding of education company ThinkStretch LLC in 2008.

What has already happened?

Programming has already been piloted this summer and fall. Through the Cultural Umbrella pilot program, more than 400 children and their parents attended free-access days at major cultural institutions, including the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Children's Theatre and the Adler Planetarium. A $50,000 grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events funded the effort.

A second project, "Poetry Way," is underway. It's a digital display in the alley between Joffrey Tower and the Chicago Theatre in the Loop, built by the Poetry Foundation and the Joffrey Ballet. It launched during the Chicago Loop Alliance Arts Fest in October, with a permanent debut set for March 2027.

What's next downtown?

More alleys could follow. The project's website calls this strand "Midblock" and aims to turn "overlooked alleys and service corridors" into gathering places. The first mural in the series is already up: a giant koi pond by local artist Ryan Tova Katz on the roof of the parking garage at 181 N. Clark St.

Other potential projects on the website include:

• The Link — converting a portion of Lower Wacker Drive into a music venue
• The Vault — a large canopy and pedestrian walkway for LaSalle Street, between Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street
• The Pause — a plan to "transform the humble public restroom into a bold statement of what a great city can be"

That last idea has real-world grounding: Chicago recently took steps to install its first public restroom in West Town.

What does this change for artists?

Many details remain unavailable, but the plan also envisions converting vacant retail and office spaces downtown into affordable studios for working artists. A yearlong residency program called The Community would let creatives live rent-free — a concrete answer for artists priced out of the Loop, if the funding holds.

With a president in place, pilots running and a permanent Poetry Way debut on the calendar for March 2027, the Cultural Stadium now has dates and dollars attached to a vision that until this week existed mostly on paper.