Partnerships with area education and cultural institutions foster the public's understanding and appreciation of the art being integrated into the system.  The Art-in-Transit program maintains working relationships with the Arts and Science Council, Charlotte Library,  Afro-American Cultural Center, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte Art League, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art, Mint Museum, Spirit Square (Blumenthal Performing Arts Center), The Light Factory, and local colleges and universities. 

Community representation is a critical component of the artist selection process.  Collaborations with community centers, neighborhood associations, and local residents provide the historical content and social perspectives that guide a selection panel's decision-making process.  Artists, too, engage in community research and interaction to make the connections reflected in a finished project.

Outreach is critical to the success of CATS' art program.  Postcards of finished art, the website, plaques at facilities, and printed materials produced by CATS serve as educational tools and promotional pieces to further introduce the art to the community.

Kristin Foster, graduate student, UNC Charlotte Department of Public History

UNC Charlotte – Cultural History Project

The art program partnered with the UNC Charlotte Public History Department this spring for a class project entitled "History at Light Speed: Discovering Charlotte's Northeast Corridor." Working under Dr. Karen Cox, professor and director of the Public History department, twelve graduate students in history and architecture explored the cultural histories of five neighborhoods along the Northeast Corridor.  Students presented their research, storyboards, and shelter models to CATS staff and the general public at a reception will be held at The Art House in the NoDa neighborhood on May 1, 2008.  Their research material will serve as an educational resource for the future artists involved in the LYNX Blue Line Extension. 

Dr. Karen Cox, CATS CEO Keith Parker, and Art-in-Transit Program Administrator Lyndsay Richter

McColl Center for Visual Art – CATS Artists-in-Residence
CATS partnered with McColl Center for Visual Art's residency program to give South Corridor artists access to studio facilities and the community to advance their projects.  The residency offered a unique setting for community engagement and outreach with the artist.  Ongoing exhibitions, open studio sessions, special events, and workshops provided the public with opportunities to make meaningful connections with the artist, the artwork, and the future LYNX Blue Line.

• Shaun Cassidy, 2006
• Tom Thoune, 2005
• Leticia Huerta, 2004

Arts & Science Council, The Light Factory - Art in Motion

Nine works of art featuring the photography of Charlotte area students and poetry from local writers were featured inside CATS buses for "Art in Motion," a collaboration between the Arts & Science Council, The Light Factory, and CATS.

• Art in Motion, 2003 

 South Transitions Newsletter Articles

• Natural Selection: Local Green Inspires Artist (Fall 2006)
• Cassidy 'Leaves' Mark On Stations (Spring 2006)
• ABC's of Art: Adams, Blum, and Cassidy… Just to Name a Few! (Winter 2005)
• Artist Receives Donations From Chipped China To Stained Glass (Spring 2005)
• Be A Part Of The Art (Summer 2005)
• Light, Textiles, and the Watchflower: Public Art Proposals (Winter 2005)
• Featured Project Artist: Leticia Huerta (October 2004)
• Exhibit Features Corridor Art (May 2004)
• Art-in-Transit Design Update (February 2004)
• Transit and Arena Designs to Complement One Another (October 2003)
• CATS Arts Program Moving Full Steam Ahead (October 2003)
• CATS To Get Art-in-Transit Program Underway (October 2002)
• Arts Will Be Vital Component of Light Rail System Design (August 2001)