A retired piano enthusiast from Beverly has spent the past year turning some of Chicago's busiest public spaces into impromptu concert halls, one donated piano at a time. John McCarthy, who started playing piano as a child, founded Chicago Plays, a nonprofit that provides free access to pianos in public spaces around the city, from neighborhood gathering spots to Navy Pier.
McCarthy's inspiration traces back to a 2024 trip to London, Oxford and Manchester, where he observed public pianos in transit stations sparking spontaneous community connections, according to the Beverly Area Planning Association. He has said public pianos are common in European train stations and airports, and as reported by CBS Chicago, that experience abroad became the seed for what is now a growing Chicago nonprofit built entirely on donated instruments.
McCarthy founded Chicago Plays, a nonprofit. The organization has placed pianos in public spaces in Beverly/Morgan Park and at Navy Pier.
From a Beverly Art Walk to the Loop
From a Beverly Art Walk to the Loop The nonprofit's work has included an installation in Beverly/Morgan Park. By July 2026, Chicago Plays had entered its second official year of operations, with coverage expanding across South Side neighborhoods and major Loop destinations, according to a report from Block Club Chicago referenced in the dossier.
Beyond high-traffic transit hubs, the group has placed playable art instruments at neighborhood gathering spots including Afro Joe's Coffee & Tea and the BAPA headquarters at 1744 W. 99th Street, according to Chicago Plays' own materials. County Fair Foods in Beverly also hosts a Chicago Plays piano, per CBS Chicago, giving shoppers a chance to sit down and play between errands.
Artists Turn Donated Instruments Into Public Art
Artists Turn Donated Instruments Into Public Art Chicago Plays collaborates with local artists who transform the donated pianos into one-of-a-kind pieces before they hit the streets. Chicago Plays installed a piano at Navy Pier, according to WBEZ Chicago. That instrument was donated in mid-2026 by Council Oak Montessori School in Blue Island alongside donor Gerry Burns before being installed at Navy Pier, per a Facebook post from the school's community page.
Artist Megan Quigley, who works out of a garage that serves as her makeshift studio, created a purple piano now stationed at Ogilvie Transportation Center's Metra Market, per CBS Chicago. Quigley has said the playable public art project would be placed at Ogilvie Station, giving commuters unexpected musical entertainment as they pass through one of downtown's busiest rail hubs. Chicago Plays' website also provides information about its public pianos.
The Logistics Behind Moving 400-Pound Instruments
Getting these heavy instruments from donors' homes and schools to studios and, eventually, public sidewalks and stations is no small feat. Upright pianos typically weigh between 400 and 600 pounds.
Public Pianos in Shared Spaces
Part of a Global Street Piano Movement Public piano projects like this one turn passive transit spaces and public corners into interactive stages where anyone can sit down and play.
