Photo: Katrina Nelken

Some folks boarding the El this Saturday night will be on quite a ride, as they participate in a fashion show, get serenaded by a mariachi band and “illuminate their thoughts” with colorful plastic balls stuffed with LED lights over the course of their journey around the Loop, among other things. Since its inception two years ago, Art on Track has offered people of all stripes experiences uncharacteristic of the urban arts scene. “The sheer novelty puts us in the category of kitsch,” says creator Tristan Hummel, “but we’re attracting new people to art.” What began as a creative means for Hummel and his contemporaries to showcase their work has since evolved into a yearly spectacle covered by the likes of NPR. The artists meet early on the morning of the event at Midway, where each is allotted a mere eight hours to decorate their forty-two-foot long car with respect for the CTA’s family-friendly standards in mind—sorry, that means no shocking political statements or Mapplethorpe-esque nudes. At the end of the day they have exactly thirty minutes to take it all apart. It’s a massive undertaking for all involved, but Hummel insists that all the effort that goes into making Art on Track possible is worthwhile. It’s not just “absolutely fun” but also indicative of an exciting direction for visual artists, many of whom are beginning to realize that their work does not “fit a classical setting.” (Emma Ramsay)