L1 Retail Store

L1 is a creative business accelerator program (launched August 2020) and retail store (opened October 2021) located in Washington Park on the Arts Block along the 300 E Block of historic Garfield Boulevard. Operated and managed by Arts + Public Life (APL), L1 is situated under the Chicago Transit Authority’s Green Line elevated tracks inside of the historic first “L” station built in 1892.

The L1 Retail Store provides 700 square feet of shared brick and mortar retail space to the inaugural L1 fellowship cohort of three South Side entrepreneurs – Peter Gaona of ReformedSchool, Tiffany Joi of Hemp Heals Body Shop, and Andrea Polk of Solo Noir and Zen Soul Apothecary – dedicated to scaling their creative businesses over the next two years.

The newly renovated space is furnished with custom-made millwork designed and fabricated by local master craftsman, Norman Teague of Norman Teague Design Studio.

During their fellowship, the L1 fellows receive subsidized retail space, elevation-focused mentorship, and extensive training and educational resources from seasoned experts, tailored to the selected businesses’ needs. The L1 fellowship is presented in partnership with program partner Eric William’s Proximity, the philanthropic arm of The Silver Room.

In addition to the physical space of L1 that accommodates up to three small businesses, APL will continue to partner with The Silver Room to provide expanded opportunities to other local South Side creative businesses not enrolled in the accelerator cohort. The L1 fellowship has a programming arm that develops opportunities for creative entrepreneurs participate in workshops, lectures, APL's Vends + Vibes arts marketplace, and seasonal vending opportunities designed to utilize the 3,000 square feet of landscaped outdoor space located behind the L1 facility.

Learn more about the L1 initiative at shopL1.org.

L1 is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Bank of America, and a generous gift from Raymond J. Iwanowski (Booth ‘97).

Learn more

‘This Old ‘L’ Station Is Now A Hub For South Side Businesses Thanks To A UChicago Program’ (Block Club Chicago)

WTTW ‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Washington Park

‘Arts + Public Life’s L1 Retail Store now open inside of historic first ‘L’ station’ (UChicago News)

‘New Washington Park store features products from Chicago entrepreneurs’ (WGN News TV Coverage)

‘Arts and Public Life celebrates 10 years with opening of new store for local entrepreneurs’ (Hyde Park Herald)

‘UChicago launches creative business accelerator program in Washington Park’ (UChicago News)