‘Mile of Murals’ Unites Children, Local Leaders to Create Public Art Display

To commemorate the ongoing community effort to beautify Rogers Park through the creation of public art displays, the Rogers Park Business Alliance will host a ribbon cutting on Nov. 17, 2009, at 3:30pm at 7100 N. Glenwood Avenue (corner of Glenwood and Greenleaf) to formally unveil two new murals that were recently completed by a nonprofit group, local children and professional artists. The event is free and open to the public.

The Rogers Park Mile of Murals Project began in 2007, with a goal of creating a full mile of murals (11 city blocks) by 2018. So far, three murals have been completed, with the ribbon cutting to unveil the second and third installments. The Mile of Murals project was originally conceived by SSA #24 Commissioner and local property owner Al Goldberg.

The first and second installments were created by the Chicago Public Art Group. This nonprofit organization unites artists and communities in partnership to produce quality public art and to extend and transform the tradition of collaborative, community involved, public artwork. For over 30 years, the group has created murals and public art displays across Chicagoland, including sites such as O’Hare International Airport, rapid transit stops, youth centers, schools and parks.

The third installment was created by the Howard Area Community Center’s (HACC) Youth Program, comprised of 80 local children, with assistance from the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the Clark/Morse/Glenwood SSA #24 and well-known local artists Dustin Harris, Lea Pinsky and mosaic artist and Chicago Public School art teacher Ingrid Swenson. The third installment is a 330-foot long wall mural, including two mosaics, on Glenwood Ave., running from Estes to Greenleaf.

“We are always looking for creative ways to beautify our community while utilizing the talents of local residents,” said Kimberly Bares, Executive Director of the Rogers Park Business Alliance. “Funding from SSA #24 for the Mural Project allowed us to work with the Chicago Public Art Group, and to significantly contribute to an essential program for local youth, giving them an opportunity to work with artists to showcase their artistic abilities. These groups have created lasting artwork that represents the rich history of the Rogers Park area, and also brands Glenwood Avenue as an arts district.”

“We are proud of the partnership between the Alliance, the Chicago Public Art Group, HACC and local artists to create these beautiful community murals,” said 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. “This partnership is a perfect example of how utilizing funds within our own community can help us flourish by maintaining and improving the resources and services we provide to local residents.”

“The second and third installments of the Mile of Murals project showcase our community’s ability to collaborate to beautify our neighborhood and offer a lasting artistic interpretation of Rogers Park history for years to come,” said Goldberg. “Our vision is to create a world-class piece of public art over a stretch of 11 full city blocks. We look forward to attracting artists and professional muralists on a national level in the near future as we continue work on this project.”