Chicago Public Art Group

Nurture nature for a better future. Happy Earth Day from Chicago Public Art Group!

These projects are a few examples of how public art can positively impact sustainable transportation. CPAG creates projects in liminal spaces like underpasses, viaducts, and underdeveloped parks to transform them into opportunities for placemaking. Highlighting these spaces encourages engagement on foot, which is a sustainable form of transportation in this urban environment.

Some simple things you can do this Earth Day, and every day!
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle (Cut down on what you throw away)
• Conserve water
• Don’t send chemicals into our waterways (Choose non-toxic chemicals in the home & office)
• Volunteer for cleanups in your community
• Bike and walk more! Drive less

May we all be inspired by the beauty of our planet and take action to ensure a healthy future for generations to come.

Projects listed in order:
“River of Welcome / Rio de Bienveneda,” 2023
Cynthia Weiss, Delilah Salgado, Citlalli Trujillo (UIC Freshwater Lab)
Canalport Riverwalk Park - 2900 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

“Aqua Interlude,” 2011
Mirtes Zwierzynski
1200 S. Columbus Dr. Chicago, IL

“A Kaleidoscope of Hidden Worlds,” 2017
Renee Robbins
W Fullerton Ave & Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL

“Life Cycle: Day and Night,” 2023
Gloria Talamantes
W Fullerton Ave & North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL

Thank you, Block Club, for your recent article on the UE Mural that CPAG and UE are working to save. The link to the article is posted on our Instagram highlights as well as the link to donate to help support this cause.

We would like to honor CPAG Board Member and multidisciplinary artist, Sonja Henderson, in celebration of Black History Month.

Henderson uses symbolism in her work to tell the story of Chicago’s communities and unite them. She portrays the body to express cultural identity and storytelling. Her commitment to restorative justice and community building has created long-lasting ties to Chicago’s south and west sides.

Sonja also founded the Mothers’ Healing Circle in Lawndale to mend trauma through woman-centered healing, visual, and meditative art practices.

Artwork listed in order:
“Mamie Till-Mobley & Emmett Till Memorial”
Sonja Henderson
2023
Argo Community High School, Summit, IL

Interior Mural: “We Are Seeds of Life”
Exterior Mural: “Remembering the Baobab Tree”
Sonja Henderson, Alfonso Piloto Nieves-Ruiz
2023
551 Elm St, Chicago, IL

“MLK Jr. Living Memorial”
Sonja Henderson, John Pitman Weber
2015
Marquette Park, Chicago, IL

Dear CPAG Artists and Friends,

Thank you so much for participating in the first Artist Cafe and happy hour of 2024! We hope you had as much fun attending “Designing for Spaces” as we did organizing it. Stay tuned for the next Artist Cafe!

We want to know what you thought of the event! Click the link in our bio to fill out a quick survey. Help us brainstorm Artist Cafe topics and improve for future events!

Sincerely,
Cynthia Weiss, Artist
Mirtes Zwierzynski, Artist
Chicago Public Art Group

Photo credit: Tim Seed

Starting off Black History Month, we would like to honor CPAG Board President and renowned artist, Bernard Williams. We admire his dedication to community-based public art and celebrating Chicago’s history.

In addition to working in sculpture, painting and installation, Williams has also restored many culturally significant murals by black artists, keeping their stories alive for decades.

Artwork listed in order:
“The Wonders of Woodlawn”
Bernard Williams, 2019
754 E 61st St, Chicago, IL

“The History of the Packinghouse Worker”
William Walker, 1974
Restored in 1998 & 2022 by Bernard Williams and Damon Lamar Reed
4859 S. Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL

“Another Time’s Voice Remembers My Passion’s Humanity”
Mitchell Caton and Calvin Jones, 1979
Restored in 1993 & 2018 by Bernard Williams and Damon Lamar Reed
Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, 3939 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL

Thank you to The DePaulia for publishing an article featuring Artists Sonja Henderson and John Pitman Weber. As part of a conversation on the impact Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has had on Chicago, they discuss the brick sculpture “MLK Living Memorial” and Henderson’s newest sculpture project, the Mamie Till-Mobley & Emmett Till Memorial. In the article, Weber says, “Life goes on and the struggle continues, but there’s lots more. More opportunities, more walls, more problematic scenes to overcome.” Henderson also reflects, “Doing public art and being an artist that creates work for the people is a real devotion.”

Click the link in our bio to read the article!

Congratulations to Rahmaan Statik on the completion of his new mural, entitled “Dynasty of Light.” The aerosol paint mural measures 80 feet long by 30 feet tall outside of City Sports in Garfield Park. Statik was assisted by artist Uprizn.

Special thanks to the Design Museum of Chicago (DMoC) for their support of this project.

Location:
City Sports
4011 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60624

You are invited to the Annual Members Meeting on Tuesday, December 12th. The Board Meeting will be held from 6:00pm - 6:30pm, followed by an Open Members Meeting & Potluck from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

Feel free to bring any food item of choice, as we reflect over the past year and discuss CPAG's history and upcoming opportunities!

See you there!

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023
Board Meeting: 6:00pm - 6:30pm
Open Members Meeting: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location
Gallery CPAG
3314 S. Morgan St, Chicago, IL

CPAG Artist Haerim Lee’s exhibition “Here I Am, Standing”, is on view now until December 17, 2023.

The Reception is on Sunday, October 29 from 1-5pm, with an Artist Talk at 2pm. Lee’s work honors William Walker’s mural, “All of Mankind” and explores collective memory. For more details, visit woodlandpattern.org/exhibitions.

Location
Woodland Pattern Book Center
720 E. Locust St. Milwaukee, WI 53212 Free and open to the public

Join family and friends to help paint Joanna Wright’s portrait this weekend on Sunday, October 8th, 2023 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. The Still Searching Project, founded by artist Damon Lamar Reed, uses art to raise awareness about underrepresented missing women and children from the Chicagoland area while bringing attention to their cases in hopes of finding real answers, honoring the families of the missing, address the need for public safety, and inspiring community organizing and participation. Joanna has been missing since 12/18/2016, and you’re invited to come and help paint her portrait to let the community and world know that we are Still Searching for Joanna.

Artwork information:
The Joanna Wright Still Searching Project – Community Paint Day

Artwork Location:
Ruiz Driving School
2857 West 63rd Street Chicago, IL 60629

We would like to extend our congratulations to Sonja Henderson on the opening of her exhibition We Are Made From Stars which is on display at the Sears Sunken Garden on W Arthington St. This exhibition led and created by Sonja Henderson and the Mothers Healing Circle is the first monument dedicated to mothers who have lost children to violence in Chicago. The Mothers Healing Circle and Lawndale community spent a year collecting stories and sewing non-traditional quilts with and about their loved ones. These treasured memory quilts were digitally transferred onto flags and will be flown in the historic Sears Sunken Garden, as a tribute to their children. The exhibition will run until November 17, 2023, so you still have plenty of time to visit the work!

Artwork information:
“We Are Made From Stars”, Sonja Henderson, 2023

Artwork Location: 3312 West Arthington Street, Chicago, IL 60624

’sHealingCircle

Happy first day of Autumn!

With the weather changing, it’s the perfect time to go out and see all the changing fall colors and beautiful public artwork around Chicago. With this new season, CPAG would like to celebrate Olivia Gude’s mosaic, “Cannas & Corn” (2004), located at the Central Park Blue Line station. “Cannas & Corn” is a work that commemorates the significance of the community garden, and the tradition of transforming abandoned urban spaces into neighborhood amenities. CPAG and Gude held an intergenerational community workshop with North Lawndale gardeners, who create neighborhood community gardens. The images in the mosaic design are based on snapshot photo documentation shared with the artist by these gardeners. Gude also met with students to explore memories of their neighborhood’s gardens and their significance in bringing the community together.


Artwork information:
“Cannas & Corn,” Olivia Gude, 2004

Artwork Location:
CTA Blue Line, Central Park Station
Central Park Ave & W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL

In honor of Memorial Day, CPAG recognizes one of our own veterans, William Walker.

William Walker served in World War II and the Korean War before enrolling in commercial art at the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1949. He switched to fine art halfway through his degree and went on to become the first African American man to win the group exhibition award at the college in 1952.

Today, William Walker is known for co-founding Chicago Public Art Group, building up the community of Chicago, and challenging racial issues in America through his art. We thank Walker for his service to America and the fight for racial justice. His life was dedicated to the art of community and will forever be known in CPAG history.

Thank you, William Walker, and to the countless veterans honored today.

It’s Red Wing Black Bird season in Chicago!
 
With the warm weather and crowds returning to the lakefront, during the nesting season of these common Chicago birds, so have the divebomb attacks.
 
Have you ever been attacked by one of these birds? And wondered if it is just in their nature to annoy humans? Well, they aren’t as malicious as they may seem.
 
Nesting season for these birds occurs when the weather starts to warm up, with chicks hatching around June-July. The typical nesting grounds for these birds is near bodies of water, AKA the lakefront of Chicago.
 
So, when you are hoping to cool off this summer near the lakefront, make sure to keep a lookout for these divebombing birds. But remember, they are just protecting their nests of newborns!
 
Pictured above are our favorite murals depicting the Red Wing Black Bird:
Fullerton Pedestrian Underpass, Gloria Talamantes and Jamiah Calvin
Catan Studio Mural, Caesar Perez
 

CPAG has worked with countless artists to create murals all over the city of Chicago. We hope you were able to celebrate some of the beautiful murals on National Mural Day earlier this month!
 
CPAG would like to commemorate the “Unidos Para Truinfar (Together We Overcome)” mural created by a group of teens led by John Pitman Weber. The mural was created in 1971, in the Westtown neighborhood of Chicago. John Pitman Weber is a CPAG co-founder, and not only led this project but also did two restorations on the mural in 1974 and 2004.
 
The project’s purpose was to contrast the fighting gangs and a march of unity. The Westtown neighborhood had experienced several shootings in 1971, and the placement of the mural in this neighborhood felt needed by community members and artists.
 
One of the greatest supporters of the mural in 1971 was Orlando Quintana, who had been killed shortly after in 1973. During the 1974 restoration the coffin was added as a reference to Quintana, as well as a commemorative and explanatory text in the 2004 restoration honoring his life and support of the project.

           

Chicago Public Art Group is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from Chicago Arts Recovery Program, a project grant to aid local arts organizations still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to Mayor Lightfoot, Chicago DCASE, and DCASE Commissioner Harkey for your support!

Pictured is CPAG Executive Director Chantal Healey with DCASE Commissioner Erin Harkey at the Chicago Arts Recovery Program Award Ceremony on May 9th.

With this grant we continue to create accessible and community-based public art, such as “The Talking Tree”: UIC Underline (2022) by artist Derric Clemmons. This work is located underneath the Chicago Skyway, transforming the space into an engaging community gathering place.

To read more about the DCASE grants program, visit this website: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/culgrants.html

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with us!
 
During the month of May, the United States recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans to its history, culture, and achievements.
 
In appreciation of this month, CPAG celebrates the Chinatown Centennial Mural and the entire project created in 2016. The project included community-engaged murals made from paint, glass, ceramic tile, and foam as a way to commemorate the Centennial Celebration. Artists Andy Bellomo and Bernard Williams worked with assistant artists and youth of Chicago during this project in the underpass below the Metra railroad on Archer Avenue.
 
The project’s walls represent the last 100 years and the next 100 years, including “The Golden Years” and the early Chinese immigrants to Chicago as well as “The Beautiful Future” with increasingly recent photographic tiles.
 
The project still stands today on Archer Avenue between Wentworth Avenue and Clark Street.
 
         

We hope to see you at the upcoming exhibition opening of “Story of Polyvocality” on Thursday, May 4th at Gallery CPAG. This is a wonderful collective exhibition by artists Justin Cooper and Haerim Lee, and is curated by Sandy Guttman.

Exhibition Dates:
May 4th - June 30th, 2023

Opening Reception:
Thursday, May 4th
5pm - 7pm

Special Programming Date:
Sunday, June 25th
3pm - 4pm

Gallery Hours:
Tue-Thu: 10am - 3pm
Sat-Sun: Appointment only

at Chicago Public Art Group
3314 S. Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60608

More info on this exhibition in our bio!

CPAG would like to celebrate May Day (also known as Worker’s Day) with the mural “Hands in Solidarity, Hands of Freedom.” It is located at 37 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607.
 
“Hands in Solidarity, Hands of Freedom” by Daniel Manrique Arias was completed in 1997. It is an iconic work that was originally part of an exchange between Chicago and Mexico City to give visual expression to international solidarity.
 
This mural is a reflection of the importance of international cooperation between the workers in the United States and Mexico.  It addresses the alienation and separation that both countries experienced with the loss of US jobs to Mexico and the loss of small and medium-sized firms that could not compete with large US companies in Mexico. This resulted in the loss of jobs for Mexican workers.
 
“Hands in Solidarity, Hands of Freedom” celebrates cross-border solidarity and the ongoing organizing alliance between the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) and The Authentic Workers Front (FAT).
 
This collaboration included a cultural component to provide an opportunity for workers and muralists in Chicago to learn firsthand from the rich, mural tradition of Mexico.  It speaks for the need for friendship and cooperation between the US and those in Mexico and it is our responsibility to persevere this ongoing friendship and restore the important symbolism and imagery that lies in this mural.
 
Join us in commemorating the struggles and gains made by the labor movement and workers across the globe.
 

Chicago Public Art Group is pleased to announce it has been awarded a planning grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities to plan an exhibit entitled “William Walker: Walls of Truth,” in partnership with the Chicago History Museum. Other partners include South Side Community Art Center, Juarez Hawkins, Jeff Huebner, Kymberly Pinder, Victor Sorel and Moira O’Shea.

Updates on the project will be posted to our Instagram!

CPAG invites everyone to the preview of “Shore Land” on May 7th, with artists JeeYeun Lee and Madolyn Wesaw. The preview will begin at 11am and last until noon, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL).
 
Please bring a smartphone and headphones to stream the audio portion of the preview walk. The preview will include six audio tracks that include the building research for Whose Lakefront in 2021.
 
ABOUT SHORE LAND:
From the first years of white settlement in Chicago, the shore of Lake Michigan has been heavily engineered, with waterways and land manipulated through laws, planning, and construction. Yet this lakefront technically does not belong to the city, or to the public. As the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi insisted in a 1914 lawsuit against the city, the landfill extends beyond the boundary set by the last treaties -- the shoreline of Lake Michigan -- and so is unceded territory. What does it mean that this much-vaunted public lakefront was born from an elitist vision of urban control and breaks treaty law by its existence?
 
This audio walk will allow us to contemplate the lakefront as a liminal space between land and water, simultaneously a public good, treaty violation, and strategy to suppress insurgence. Through interviews, songs, and reading of historical documents, the audio narratives contrast modes of settler engineering (social, legal, material) with Indigenous perspectives on the sovereignty of land and water.
 
Register for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apida-arts-festival-presents-outdoor-audio-walk-with-jee-yeun-lee-mca-tickets-560833206217

Join us for the unveiling of the “Mamie Till-Mobley” bronze statue on Saturday April 29th!
 
Mamie Till-Mobley was an alumnus of Argo Community High School and was the school’s first Black student to make the honor roll. She became an advocate for social justice after the murder of her son and continued fighting for other children in schools for the remainder of her life.
 
RSVP for the event using the QR code. The unveiling will begin at 11am. We hope to see you there!

We are pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition, “Story of Polyvocality” at CPAG. This collective exhibition features the works of and , and is curated by .

Exhibition Dates:
May 4th - June 30th, 2023

Opening Reception:
Thursday, May 4th
5pm - 7pm

Special Programming Date:
Sunday, June 25th, 2023
3pm - 4pm

Gallery Hours:
Tue-Thu: 10am - 3pm
Sat-Sun: Appointment Only

At Chicago Public Art Group
3314 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60608

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the removal of Tracy Van Duinen’s colorful “I Will” mosaic mural in Uptown. The historic Lakeside Theater’s mural was installed in 2006, through the collaboration of Van Duinen and Alternatives. The mural depicts vibrant colors, children, and words of encouragement. It was a successful community engagement piece, as it was created with the neighborhood children of Chicago.
 
The mural will be taken down today, so Chicagoan’s are invited to come look at the mural one last time and even take pieces of the installation home with them.
 
Words from our Director, Chantal Healey, on community engaged art:
“It takes a special group of people - our artists - to dedicate their hearts, soul, and sweat to create art that speaks to the community. Today, we would like to pay homage and respect to the artist Tracy Van Duinen who led this project.
Why is this word - COMMUNITY / Community Engaged Art– So Important?
Community-engaged art allows a community to be seen, heard, respected, and cherished. 
The impact of community art is especially meaningful in Chicago's neighborhoods.
It leaves an indelible mark on the residents of those communities.  And this impact enhances one's sense of pride and ownership in a community, contributing to their well-being and sense of belonging.”
 

Happy World Health Day!
 
Today, CPAG recognizes the beautiful murals created for various health centers around Chicago, as well as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization.
 
The following murals shown in order are:
- “Cycles de Amor”, “Transcendence,” and “Vessels - City, Sun and Earth” BCBSIL Blue Door Neighborhood Center - 3 of 5 Murals, Sandra Antongiorgi, Miguel A. Del Real, Gabriel Villa, 2021, South Lawndale
- “Family and Legacy” BCBSIL Blue Door Neighborhood Center - 1 of 6 Murals, Dorian Sylvain, 2020, Morgan Park
- “Elements of Life Mural” and Mosaic Planters, Friend Health Center - Mural and Mosaic Sculpture, Rahmaan Statik, Damon Lamar Reed and Pugs Atomz, 2022, Woodlawn
- “Our Strength is Our Community, PrimeCare Health Mural” - Mural, Rahmaan Statik, 2020, Northwest Side
- “Embracing Hope” Cook County Central Campus Health Center - Mosaic Mural, Sonja Henderson and Mirtes Zwierzynski, 2018, Illinois Medical District
 
 
 
This year, we look back at all public health successes that improved the quality of life and motivate action to take on the new and current health challenges. To help during World Health Day, try volunteering at your local charities and organizations, donate blood or bone marrow, or just take the measures to stay healthy and be kind to your medical staff!
 
Thank you to all of the medical staff all over the world and to the artists who contributed to the murals showcased in and around the health centers that work towards health for all.
 

Thank you for celebrating Women's History Month with us. As we finish up the month of March, we want to introduce the women and femme identifying folks who run Chicago Public Art Group.
On the left is Chantal Healey, CPAG's dedicated Executive Director. In the center is Stephanie Strickland, our well rounded Project Manager. And on the right is Dani Melen (she/they), who is the Project Coordinator and a talented artist.
Chicago Public Art Group is proud of its women and non-binary team, and we appreciate your support of the vital role of women in history and art.

As we move towards the end of Women’s History Month, CPAG would like to honor Olivia Gude!
Olivia Gude is a Chicago based artist and educator, and one of CPAG’s core artists.
 
She concentrates on community-based monuments that are created in collaboration with various community members and other artists. Her skill as a painter has translated beautifully into street mural form, with her focus on engulfing the viewer with large scale color fields.
 
Gude has served as a keynote speaker for countless arts education conferences all over the United States and abroad. She is currently a professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago.
 
The following are some images of Gude’s work, including “I Welcome Myself to a New Place,” Where We Come From… Where We’re Going,” and “Water Marks at Navy Pier.”
 
CPAG is grateful for her decades of contributions to both CPAG and public art.

For Women’s History Month, CPAG would like to honor Andy Bellomo! Andy Bellomo is a self-taught artist, social change activist, and one of CPAG’s own core artists. She strives to create work for herself and her community, especially by giving LGBTQ community members the spotlight they deserve and advocating for human rights.
 
She has received numerous grants from The Field Museum, DCASE, Chicago Park District, and the City of Chicago. In 2020, she was named one of the top 50 public artists in the “City of Chicago Public Art Prequalified List.”
 
This is Andy Bellomo in front of her mosaic mural “Come to Light” located on Hollywood Beach. The 2011 mural is made up of paint, sculpture, glass, and tile. She has created several other murals throughout the city such as “Chinatown Centennial Mural,” “Manuel Perez School Mural,” and the “Symphony of Cells” sculpture.
 
Her current goal is to create a series of murals that incorporate the “larger-than-life” figures of other artists and activists that demand social justice, to demonstrate the large impact they have on the Chicago community and beyond.
 
Read more on Andy Bellomo here: https://www.andybellomo.com/about
 

Join us Saturday, April 1st from 1-4pm for a beautiful afternoon of art-making and environmental justice conversations.

Artists Delilah Salgado and Cynthia Weiss will lead a hands-on tortilla press printmaking workshop. Freshwater Lab at UIC researcher/activist Citlalli Trujillo will facilitate a conversation around a climate future with cleaner air and water, and more equitable green space along the Chicago River and in our communities.

Participants must register to attend. Register through the Eventbrite link below.

This workshop is free.

No previous art experience is necessary.

For any questions or concerns contact: [email protected]

Tortilla Press Printmaking & Conversations for Our Climate Future Join us for an afternoon of art making, including a hands-on tortilla press printmaking workshop and environmental justice conversations!