Dear Friends of Comfort Station,

As I write this letter, I am reflecting on a year that asked us, the staff, board, and volunteers of Comfort Station, to slow down, look inward, and imagine the future of a place that so many people care deeply about. 2025 was a year of transition and continuity for Comfort Station, one in which the spirit of our organization remained visible in every concert, exhibition, film screening, and gathering that took place within and around our historic building.

After fourteen years of dedicated leadership, my mentor and friend Jordan Martins concluded his tenure as Executive Director at the end of 2025. Jordan’s impact on Comfort Station cannot be overstated. From the early days of volunteer-driven programming to the organization we know today, Jordan helped cultivate a space where artists, neighbors, and cultural workers could gather freely, experiment, and build community. On behalf of the board, programmers, artists, and audiences who have passed through our doors over the years, I want to express our deep gratitude for the vision and care he brought to Comfort Station.

In anticipation of this transition, our board, staff and volunteers came together to think, plan, and reflect together. Supported by a grant from the ArtsWork Fund, our transition committee gathered to ask an important question: what would a thriving Comfort Station look like in the years ahead? Through interviews, surveys, and internal town halls, we began imagining new ways the organization can grow while staying rooted in the collaborative and artist-centered ethos that has always defined it. This work will continue into 2026 and inform the next chapter of Comfort Station.

On January 1, 2026, I stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director joined by the incredible and indelible Marielle Mervau as Interim Development Director. The “interim” designation reflects the ongoing nature of this work. As we spend the coming year putting our thinking into action, the term keeps us open to flexibility and change. The conversations and ideas generated throughout 2025 will continue to shape how Comfort Station evolves as we move forward together.

During this period of transition, our community continued to show up in remarkable ways. More than 300 artists shared their work through exhibitions and performances, and over 3,000 neighbors attended free public events. Volunteer programmers brought curiosity and care to every program they organized. Donors and partners sustained our mission with generosity and trust.

Comfort Station has always been a collective project. It exists because people believe that a small public building can be a place where culture thrives. As we enter what we are calling “The Year of Comfort Station”—100 years of our historic building’s history, 15 years as an organization, 10 years as a non-profit—I am excited about the possibilities ahead, and grateful for everyone who continues to help make this space what it is: a generous and generative hub for Chicago artists and neighbors.

As we look ahead, this year is both a celebration of Comfort Station’s history and an invitation to shape its future. We hope you’ll join us by attending programs, sharing ideas, volunteering, or offering support, so that together we can continue creating a space where we can all thrive. I invite you to read the 2025 Annual Report, linked above and below, to celebrate this past year with us.

Thank you for being part of our community.

With gratitude,
Kitty Rauth
Interim Executive Director
Comfort Station

2025 Annual Report