• ABOUT THE MILE OF MURALS

    ABOUT THE MILE OF MURALS

    The Mile of Murals is a community-based public art initiative in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, located on the far north side of the city. The project began in 2007, and is sponsored by the Rogers Park Business Alliance and the Clark/Morse/Glenwood Special Service Area #24. Our goal is to paint a full mile of murals along the CTA Red Line track from Estes Avenue to Pratt Boulevard along the Glenwood Avenue train line. The project will result in 19 large-scale murals: ten block-long walls, seven viaduct walls, and two overpasses. New artists and themes are selected annually through a rigorous selection process juried by arts professionals and community leaders.

    14 murals have been completed so far, on the following themes by these artists:

    2008: Artistic Movement
    Artist: Damon Lamar Reed (Chicago Public Art Group)

    2009: The Heart of Rogers Park
    Artists: Rahmaan Statik Barnes and Max Sansing (Chicago Public Art Group)

    2009: Connect Origins to Destinations: A Brief History of Rogers Park
    Artists: Dustin Harris and Lea Pinsky, in collaboration with 80 youth from the Howard Area Community Center

    2010: Community Leaders
    Artists: Chiara Padgett, Sean Welker, Shawn Bullen, Won Kim, Dustin Harris,
    Rahmaan Statik Barnes, Michelle Scott, Diana Berek, Juan Carlos Perez, Matthew Milkowski, Mona DiFiore, Paula Clayton, Lea Pinsky, Joanna Pinsky

    2011: Patriotism in Everyday Life
    Artists: COMIGO Colllective: Diana Berek, Chiara Padgett, Juan Carlos Perez

    2012: The Digital Frontier
    Artist: Doze Green, with Ian Kuali'i

    2012: The Sacred Guardians
    Artist: Mear One

    2013: Bicycle Family
    Artist: Bruno Big

    2013: Chicago: Wind, Sun, and Shine
    Artist: Jeff Zimmermann

    2014: Movement and Stillness
    Artists: Peter Hurley and Scott Bullock

    2015: It Starts with YOU
    Artists: Dustin Harris and Lea Pinsky

    2016: Audubon Mural Project
    Artists: Ruben Aguirre, Cheri Charlton, Andrea Jablonski, Tyrue SLANG Jones, Anthony Lewellen, and Chris Silva

    2017: Resilience
    Artist: Gretchen Hasse

    2017: Be Happy
    Artists: Thomas Kong and the Roman Susan Foundation

    2023: Chicago Musicians Past & Present
    Artist: Peter Hurley

    The Mile of Murals project has garnered accolades from the City of Chicago's Tourism Office and the Chicago Tribune, and has participated annually in Chicago Artist's Month for the past several years.

    Requests for Proposals are disseminated in mid-February and completed proposals are due at the beginning of April. Artists are notified by the end of April and murals are to be painted and completed by October. Stipends are competitive, and range per project.

    Artists, Dustin Harris and Lea Pinsky, have coordinated the project by providing and sharing their expertise by managing the artist selection processes, thematic vision and community engagement. In addition, they have provided support to artists in preparing and priming walls before painting, ordering paints, helping with storage needs and sealing the wall after completion.

    For more information about the Mile of Murals project, please email Ana Bermudez at abermudez@rpba.org.