Lakeview Public Art Program
Lakeview is growing to become one of Chicago's most creative neighborhoods. Home to a vibrant collection of public art, locals and visitors alike enjoy the neighborhood's iconic murals and sculptures, cultural events, and other artistic offerings.
About
The Lakeview Public Art Committee is responsible for identifying innovative artists and securing funding to support the display of public works of art in highly-visible locations throughout West Lakeview. Consisting of volunteers who share diverse experience in the arts and fundraising, the committee and its recommendations help advance the mission of Friends of Lakeview, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and partner of the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce and Special Service Area (SSA) 27.
Untitled #1, Paint the City (2024): 3411 N. Ashland Ave | Untitled is an 4-piece exhibit by artist group Paint the City. It expresses the vibrancy and fluidity of the black experience through the faces of those in the community interlaced with stylized stencil designs.
Untitled #2, Paint the City (2024): 3411 N. Ashland Ave | Untitled is an 4-piece exhibit by artist group Paint the City. It expresses the vibrancy and fluidity of the black experience through the faces of those in the community interlaced with stylized stencil designs.
Untitled #3, Paint the City (2024): 3410 N. Lincoln Ave | Untitled is an 4-piece exhibit by artist group Paint the City. It expresses the vibrancy and fluidity of the black experience through the faces of those in the community interlaced with stylized stencil designs.
Untitled #4, Paint the City (2024): 3410 N. Lincoln Ave | Untitled is an 4-piece exhibit by artist group Paint the City. It expresses the vibrancy and fluidity of the black experience through the faces of those in the community interlaced with stylized stencil designs.
Life in the Sky, Czr Prz (2024): 3410 N. Southport Ave | Life in the Sky Garden is an 8-piece exhibit by artist Czr Prz. It is a surrealistic view on the natural world, an amalgamation of birds and flowers that expresses the consistencies in life. Many of my concepts come from both the real world and from dreaming, giving the audience a different perspective on the visuals of a subject matter
The Girl and the City, Matthew Mederer (2024): 1601 W. Belmont Ave | Installed in June 2024, “The Girl and the City” is a vibrant celebration of Chicago’s rich cultural tapestry and a reminder of the importance of carving out moments and space for oneself. The painting features a young woman, adorned in Chicago-inspired fashion, seated on a shelf brimming with literary treasures about the city. She's engrossed in the New York Times Best Seller, "The Time Traveller's Wife" Behind her, the shelf dissolves into a stunning sunset that illuminates the iconic Chicago skyline, blending the personal and the urban.
Low-Line Koi No. 1, Jeremy Novy (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Jeremy Novy located throughout several major US cities. Based on the Chinese artistic practice of hiding lucky numbers in Koi painting to covey deeper messages, this piece, featuring two koi represents "double happiness" or good things coming in pairs.
Low-Line Koi No. 2, Jeremy Novy (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Jeremy Novy located throughout several major US cities. Based on the Chinese artistic practice of hiding lucky numbers in Koi painting to covey deeper messages, this piece, featuring two koi represents "double happiness" or good things coming in pairs.
Low-Line Koi No. 2, Jeremy Novy (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Jeremy Novy located throughout several major US cities. Based on the Chinese artistic practice of hiding lucky numbers in Koi painting to covey deeper messages, this piece, featuring two koi represents "double happiness" or good things coming in pairs.
Pidgy Ramone, Todd McCafrey (2022): 3159 N Southport Ave | “I was born and raised in Chicago, and having lived here for over thirty years, I find that inspiration often comes from the seemingly trivial. With a background in comics, I create works that are observational and lighthearted but which also present irony or a punchline that is unexpected. 'Pidgy Ramone' is a part of Pidge: a project that showcases scenes of urban life from the perspectives of the ultimate city dwellers, pigeons. We coexist with so many species in the city, but we usually try to ignore their presence. Pidge aims to emulate our hustle and bustle (and sometimes monotonous) lifestyle reimagined as a day in a life of our feathery little city friends.” Pidgy Ramone has quicky stolen heart of the West Lakeview community with its whimsical style while the musical theme celebrates Schubas as one of Chicago's most iconic music venues. Credit: Barry Brecheisen
Community Mosaic (2022): 3501 N. Southport Ave | The Lakeview Public Art Committee is proud to present this community-driven mosaic to West Lakeview. The primary goal of this initiative was to engage the community in all aspects of the mosaic, and from conception to execution, local residents and businesses were engaged for input, ideas and feedback. Beginning with a community workshop to brainstorm potential mosaic themes, and ending with hundreds of local volunteers tiling and grouting the mosaic with their own hands, this was truly a community-led initiative. Credit: Barry Brecheisen
Untitled, Antonio Beniquez (2020): 3409 N. Ashland Ave | As a graduate of Lake View High School and mentor for the Kerry Wood foundation, the Lakeview neighborhood has been a big part of Beniquez' life. His inspiration for the mural was to incorporate elements that were most impactful to him, as a kid, from being in the neighborhood. The black and red school colors, which represent his pride for his time at LV High School, to the simplistic yet bold nature of the design coupled with his own unique style, were crucial features in deciding the direction of the mural.
Blossoming, Sharon Dowell (2020): 3416 N. Ashland Ave | Sharon Dowell believes that creative place making communicates distinctiveness and generates connections across communities. Intertwining themes course through her work; the energy of place, transition and temporality. Shifting facets and planes overlapping; what was there before and what is yet to come that we cannot anticipate. The repeating happening in spaces leaving imprints of memories and energies; the idea that one could peel back or cut a hole in this dimension and walk into a past, future or another current dimension we cannot see. Dowell states that the woman in this mural reflects the idea of the body as a vessel, a sanctuary, and a healing transition or blossoming. It also expresses a hope that all who coexist together in the bustling city of Chicago will bloom to their full potential.
Bears on Parade, Felix Maldonado (2020): 3406 N. Ashland Ave | In the mid-18th century, the area of Lakeview was once utilized as a camp and trail path for the Miami, Ottawa and Winnebago Native American tribes. It was also an important migrant trail path for wildlife -- Maldonado's concept salutes this history. The background, painted in a two-tone blue, represents sky and water, while the multitude of bears and cubs are painted in monochromatic reds to represent life and earth. Combined, this concept draws a clever nod, not only to the flag of Chicago, but to some of Chicago's favorite sports teams.
Chicago Pride, JC Rivera (2020): 3410 N. Lincoln | The mural Chicago Pride was created by renowned Chicago artist JC Rivera, who is perhaps the best known for his iconic "Bear Champ" character. Onlookers can view this mural from atop the Paulina Brown Line Station platform, where they will see multiple iterations of Bear Champ depicted against the backdrop of the Chicago flag. The avatar Bear Champ can be seen in works of public art across Chicago, and is representative of both the creativity and playfulness that Rivera embodies in his work.
Urbs in Horto, Louise "Ouizi" Jones (2019): 3637 N. Southport Ave | Located just blocks from Wrigley Field in the heart of the Southport Corridor, Urbs in Horto is a bold new mural that incorporates colorful flowers found throughout the Midwest in its design. Created by renowned Detroit-based artist Louise "Ouizi" Jones, the artwork borrows its name from the City of Chicago's official motto, which means "City in a Garden." Ouizi says depicting Chicago's motto in plain view and using specific blooms will honor the city's close relationship with nature: "Chrysanthemums are Chicago's official flower, so they are featured most prominently in the mural. Roses are universally recognizable and loved, but they were also Anne Hewlett Fuller's favorite, and the bloom that the famous Chicagoan architect and designer Buckminster Fuller gave her in courtship. Echinacea and prairie grasses are both found growing wild in Chicago, a nod to the abundance of beautiful wild foliage in Illinois."
This Is Lakeview, Lauren Asta (2018): 3411 N. Paulina St | "Creating public artwork allows me to visually stimulate an audience and inspire them with my cast of characters doing what they do best: being humorous about the human experience." Lauren Asta is a traveling muralist and artist who left her home base of San Francisco in 2016 to follower her paintbrush. She specializes in illustration, doodle art, street art and murals. Her murals are all hand painted without any aid of a sketch, projector, or traced outline. She works completely freehand. "I want the community to be proud of something positive that belongs to them. To have it be a constant reminder to be bold, to flex the hustle, and to hopefully have the desire to create something - big or small."
Flight Patterns, Chris Silva & Yollocalli Arts Reach (2018): 3411 N. Paulina St | Chris Silva's creative pursuits are firmly rooted in Chicago's street art scene, and his artistic journey began right here in the neighborhood of Lakeview. Chris was an innovative figure in Chicago's early graffiti and skateboarding scenes and from that foundation he proceeded to play a significant role in the development of what is now commonly referred to as "street art." Yollocalli Arts Reach is the youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art. For over 20 years, Yollocalli Arts Reach has made informal learning spaces available to thousands of teens and young adults in Chicago, winning numerous awards for innovative, youth-centered arts programming.
Lake View, Anthony Lewellen (2017): 3241 N. Lincoln Ave | This iconic 4,000 square-foot mural celebrates Lakeview at an intersection that has historically served as the geographical center of the neighborhood. Artist Anthony Lewellen was raised in Lakeview, went to Lake View High School and has been a prominent figure in the Chicago art scene for decades, drawing inspiration for his design from the place he once called home. Lewellen says the central female figure in Lake View personifies the neighborhood itself: "Her hair, flowing like waves, towers above the surrounding trees and buildings and in her reflected gaze, we see the horizon clear, blue, open and full of possibilities."
Past installations
When it Rains it Pours, Eric Lee (2023) | This is an 8-piece exhibit where its main weight lies in the tension between the known strength of the characters and seeing them vulnerable and crying in that moment; idealized versions of ourselves going through pain is a symbol of all our suffering and a connection point for everyone. The rain depicted on the back of the panels is shown through a gradient of light to dark, acting as a metaphor for a source of lighting int he darkness serving to shed light on mental health awareness. This installation is part of an art panel series in support of Mental Health Awareness. Further details and resources are available through the following organizations: Chicago Unspoken: http://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/find-mental-health-support/ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/ Mental Health.gov: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Low-Line Nosey No. 1, Rodney Duran (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Rodney Duran titled “Nosey.” NOSEYS are interventionists out to help people through struggles. They pop around town looking for ways to influence positivity. They really are nosey and they innocently pry into your business only to help you, yet they have no nose at all, which adds to their pure hearted attitude. This character is meant to highlight that individuals struggling with mental health are not alone, and we should look out for others going through mental health struggles. You can see more paintings in this series at www.rodneyduranart.com. This installation is part of an art panel series in support of Mental Health Awareness. Further details and resources are available through the following organizations: Chicago Unspoken: http://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/find-mental-health-support/ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/ Mental Health.gov: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Low-Line Nosey No. 2, Rodney Duran (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Rodney Duran titled “Nosey.” NOSEYS are interventionists out to help people through struggles. They pop around town looking for ways to influence positivity. They really are nosey and they innocently pry into your business only to help you, yet they have no nose at all, which adds to their pure hearted attitude. This character is meant to highlight that individuals struggling with mental health are not alone, and we should look out for others going through mental health struggles. You can see more paintings in this series at www.rodneyduranart.com. This installation is part of an art panel series in support of Mental Health Awareness. Further details and resources are available through the following organizations: Chicago Unspoken: http://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/find-mental-health-support/ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/ Mental Health.gov: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Low-Line Nosey No. 3, Rodney Duran (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Rodney Duran titled “Nosey.” NOSEYS are interventionists out to help people through struggles. They pop around town looking for ways to influence positivity. They really are nosey and they innocently pry into your business only to help you, yet they have no nose at all, which adds to their pure hearted attitude. This character is meant to highlight that individuals struggling with mental health are not alone, and we should look out for others going through mental health struggles. You can see more paintings in this series at www.rodneyduranart.com. This installation is part of an art panel series in support of Mental Health Awareness. Further details and resources are available through the following organizations: Chicago Unspoken: http://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/find-mental-health-support/ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/ Mental Health.gov: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Low-Line Nosey No. 4, Rodney Duran (2023) | This installation is part of a series by Rodney Duran titled “Nosey.” NOSEYS are interventionists out to help people through struggles. They pop around town looking for ways to influence positivity. They really are nosey and they innocently pry into your business only to help you, yet they have no nose at all, which adds to their pure hearted attitude. This character is meant to highlight that individuals struggling with mental health are not alone, and we should look out for others going through mental health struggles. You can see more paintings in this series at www.rodneyduranart.com. This installation is part of an art panel series in support of Mental Health Awareness. Further details and resources are available through the following organizations: Chicago Unspoken: http://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/find-mental-health-support/ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/ Mental Health.gov: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Impossible Geometry, Kate Lewis (2021-2022): 3410 N. Southport Ave | These impossible forms were inspired by the work of creatives like MC Escher, Oscar Reutersvard, and other artists moved by mathematics and our visual manipulation and understanding of shapes and forms. The intent with these individual designs was to present a scene that prompts the viewer to discover why the shape could never exist in 3D form. This activates our imaginations, and allows us to see things as “possible,” if we can see them from a slightly different perspective.
The Face, Zor Zor Zor (2021-2022): 3410 N. Ashland Ave. | "When I first began to develop my style, I loved to puzzle together different shapes and designs to create these mask-like characters. Many of my paintings are just in black and white; the stark contrast is incredibly pleasing to my eye. This character is wearing a beanie and has long hair, but isn't necessarily a boy or a girl. They are whatever energy you feel from it. The red polka dots are these bubbles of thoughts floating in this character's universe."
The Bunny, Zor Zor Zor (2021-2022): 3410 N. Paulina St. | "As a kid, I grew up with my dad raising rabbits. Not just one or two cute little pets, more like 20-30 at a time in the spring and summer months. I loved them and spent a lot of time playing with them, watching them graze, naming them and drawing pictures of them. Today I still have a strong connection to the rabbit. How soft and delicate they can be, yet fast and untouchable. So very calm but quick, munching on greens all day. Like people, they live in their own worlds and somehow survive and maintain their sweetness and charm amid the wild wilderness of mankind."
The Graffiti Fairy , Zor Zor Zor (2021-2022): 3410 N. Paulina St. | "I call this my 'Graffiti Fairy.' The idea came to me when thinking of how anonymous those of us who write on things can be. Our names and scribbles just seem to appear on street poles and boxes, dumpsters and bus benches. I wanted to create a lighter vision of what we can be perceived as; these magical beings leaving little gifts for passersby to witness and enjoy. The wave of a magic wand leaving a piece of our spirit wherever we go."
Year Round, Mauricio Ramirez (2020-2021): 3415 N. Ashland Ave | A Chicago native, Mauricio Ramirez, tells the story of how the seasons highly influence the activity throughout the city. All through the mural, you can see how the seasons of color playfully interact with each other. This playfulness reminders Ramirez of how fluid the climate is due to global warming and our impact on the environment. The characters Ramirez depicts stem from his heritage as a Mexican-American. In the summer, it's common for Latina women to wear embroidered blouses and fixed floral decorations on their head. It is a sign of warm climate and represents summertime in Chicago. This piece not only sheds light on weather, but the seasonal colors are meant to bring happiness and joy. The kaleidoscope of colors brings an immediate sense of brightness and fun which makes this mural site the ultimate destination to celebrate happy moments.
Imitation Aura, Chad Kouri (2019-2021): 3410 N. Southport Ave | An aura is simply known as a colorful emanation surrounding the body of a living creature regarded as an essential and unique part of the individual. It's known to represent a person's true personality and emotions and can change according to how a person is feeling and the thoughts they have. Kouri intended for audiences to interact with these murals by picking which imitation aura attracts each individual most and take a photo in front of it, capturing their imitation aura. You can even stop by the mural each day to see which imitation aura appeals to you most given your changing moods and emotions.
Untitled, Caroline Liu (2018-2019): 3410 N. Southport Ave. | Artist Caroline Liu drew from her own personal experience when creating this exhibit. In 2012, a solid wood door fell several feet straight onto Liu's head and her short term memory never fully recovered. Liu's work became a therapeutic practice for holding onto memories she’d otherwise forget, as well as a vehicle for self-exploration and documentation of her everyday struggles as a person with irreparable memory loss. Her current body of work focuses on her body, self, and mind with overlying themes of vulnerability and loss. Through her usage of repetitious colors and patterns, Liu both camouflages and exposes the many facets of her identity.
Southport Style, Sentrock (2017-2018): 3410 N. Southport Ave | This exhibit was created by acclaimed local street artist Joseph Perez, who goes by the name Sentrock. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, Sentrock moved to Chicago to pursue a change in scenery and obtain a Bachelors of Art & Design at Columbia College. Sentrock is known for using bright colors, intense lettering and characters that grab the attention of viewer, which can be seen in this piece through the depiction of characters riding the train, bikes, running, dancing, and admiring flowers. This piece pays homage to its environment under the CTA 'L' tracks, where frequent pedestrian activity and seasonal programming create a welcoming space for all. A believer in the quote "Art cannot deny the environment that it is in", Perez allows his surroundings of living in Chicago to influence his latest works.
Lakeview Public Art Committee
Geetika Chandran
Resident
Richard Lange
Cornelia Arts Building
Jeremy Wechsler
Theater Wit
Allyson Coglianese
Chicago Transit Authority
Lynn Manilow
LMK Art Consulting
Angela Garbot
Angela Garbot Photography
Laura McMahon
The Guild
Scot Havrilla
Resident
Dr. John Reuter
Universal Wellness Source of Roscoe Village