Rogers Park recently restored their gorgeous Miles of Murals and you can see the gorgeous artwork in person on a walking tour! The vibrant murals span about 14,000 square feet and follow alongside the CTA Red Line.
The art installations started in 2007 as a community-based initiative and have continued to grow and evolve over the years adding a significant amount of stunning street art spectacles to the array of murals already around Chicago. The impressive large-scale works have consisted of five block-long pieces, including seven viaducts, and one overpass in the past.
This year, it’s getting even bigger with a full mile of murals commissioned to run along the CTA Red Line track– spanning from Estes Avenue to Pratt Boulevard along the Glenwood Avenue train line. The new project will result in 19 large-scale murals with ten block-long walls, seven viaduct walls, and two overpasses!
Some of the murals were originally designed and painted by Peter Hurley and Scott Bullock in 2014. Now, the RPBA is working with Peter to restore and paint the damaged concrete surfaces as well as introducing a fresh mural to the exhibit. The new painting which celebrates Chicago musicians, and the Chicago music scene is expected to be done by August 2022.
In 2021, Chicago-based artist Gape One (AKA Henry Gonzalez) was hired to clean, repair and anti-graffiti all the murals which have endured damage over the years. The restoration efforts continue this year by focusing on The Movement and Stillness mural located on the east side of Glenwood Avenue between Lund and Greenleaf Avenues.
Sponsored by nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance and the Clark/Morse/Glenwood Special Service Area #24, the yearly project has featured well-known mural artists Reuben Aguire, Jeff Zimmermann, Bruno Big, and more.
Tours in the area are set to start May 14 and continue on through October 8th through the Chicago Architecture Center walking tours. Each tour starts off at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Morse Avenue, on the east side of the CTA Red Line Morse station.
Get tickets here.
[Featured photo from architecture.org]