Afternoon Edition: After transforming streets, 'Pothole Picasso' opens a gallery

Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶

For some, hopping in a vehicle and going off-roading is a thrilling rush felt when you become one with the vehicle, steering through pitfalls and rough terrain that rattles you.

For Chicagoans, that’s just a daily commute, thanks to potholes, those ubiquitous and persistent facts of life we know and tolerate.

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got the story of an artist who has become known for filling potholes and topping them off with mosaics — and why he’s ready to open a gallery for his work.

Plus, we’ve got reporting on a shooting near Edgewater, details on improvements underway at a Near West Side park and more community news you need to know this afternoon.

⏱️: A 7-minute read

— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)

TODAY’S TOP STORY

Chicago’s ‘Pothole Picasso’ opens a studio/gallery in Uptown

Reporting by Bob Chiarito | For the Sun-Times

How it started: Back in 2014, local mosaics artist Jim Bachor was frustrated with a pothole outside his Mayfair home. The city would fix it, and eventually it would reemerge. So he decided to patch the hole himself — resulting in his first street piece, which simply said “Pothole” on top of an image of a Chicago flag around it.

‘Pothole Picasso’ is born: After that first piece, Bachor, who used to work in advertising, would look for potholes around the city and continue to fill them in, topping them off with a mosaic and documenting them on his website. It wasn’t long before he got noticed by media, which would lead to him making pothole art in other cities, including New York, Detroit, Nashville, San Antonio and Los Angeles.

The process: The pothole mosaics take eight to10 hours in total, Bachor said. The mosaics themselves are made at his studio on cheesecloth. Once Bachor finds a good pothole, he goes there carrying traffic cones and wearing an orange jumpsuit and reflective vest, pours the cement and then puts the mosaic on top.

The next step: At the start of the month, Bachor opened a gallery and studio in Uptown with the hope of getting back to his true calling, fine art mosaics.

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WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Patricia Nabong/Sun-Times

• Deadly shooting in home: An 11-year-old boy was killed and a pregnant woman was critically wounded in a shooting inside a home in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue Wednesday morning, officials said.
• Feds say man fired gun during Capitol riot: A Summit man will remain in federal custody after prosecutors accused him of firing two shots into the air outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the building, a judge in Chicago ruled Wednesday.
• City passes on free rent: For well over a year, the Catholic archdiocese has offered up rent-free locations to the city to house migrants, potentially saving taxpayers money. But Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has yet to act, instead spending millions with private companies.
• Touhy-Herbert Park gets facelift: A water spray area updated with benches, paths, a new scoreboard and seating for the baseball field are among the improvements on tap for the Near West Side park’s welcomed makeover.
• Music fest lineups released: Wednesday saw the lineup announcements of two popular summer music festivals in Union Park — Pitchfork Music Festival, July 19-21, and ARC Music Festival, Aug. 30-Sept. 1.
• 4 stars for ‘The Penelopiad’: Artistic director Susan V. Booth shapes a production of furious impact and impeccable ensemble work from the all-female, 13-strong cast, writes Catey Sullivan in a review for the Sun-Times.

SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🍻

Take a sip at Old Irving Brewing Co.

Erica Thompson/Sun-Times

I caught up with features reporter Erica Thompson, who recently joined the team here at the Sun-Times by way of the Columbus Dispatch.

Erica tells me that as a new resident, she’s been having a lot of fun exploring Chicago’s brewery scene. Her recommendation this week? Stop by Old Irving Brewing Co. in Old Irving Park for a beer and a good meal.

Dine in: “I sat at the bar, but I’d recommend snagging a seat in the dining room. I love the way they’ve used barrels and decorative lighting to enhance the space,” Erica says. “The entire brewery is lovely, though.”

Hidden treasure: “See if you can spot the painting of Nicolas Cage.”

What to order: “You can’t go wrong with the light, refreshing Beezer hazy IPA and the wood-fired burger, featuring white cheddar, onions and a garlic-vinegar aioli,” Erica says, noting that “the burger is huge, so you may need to take some of it home.”

Bonus: Erica made a video about her recent visit that you can watch here.

Last thought: “The following quote is painted on one wall of the brewery: ‘They who drink beer will think beer. — Washington Irving.’ I’m not sure if ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ author actually said that, but it’s a nice thought,” Erica says.

📍Old Irving Brewing Co. 4419 W. Montrose Ave.

BRIGHT ONE ✨

Chuck Hodes/FX

Where is ‘The Bear’ filming? Finding the set is Chicago’s new favorite spectator sport.

Reporting by Courtney Kueppers | WBEZ

Chicago’s new favorite spectator sport has become spotting set locations for Season 3 of the FX kitchen drama “The Bear,” which began filming in the area late last month.

The telltale signs: bright pink flyers on street lamps and apartment buildings that read “Kubelik.” The flyers go up, and a pedestrian corner is transformed into a major set within days.

By tracing filming, you can get a little sneak peek of the latest season, which drops in June. WBEZ scoured filming permits and social media to put together this list of where the cast and crew have been working around town.

Ukrainian Village: One sunny afternoon last week at Hoyne Avenue and Cortez Street in Ukrainian Village, onlookers picked up and kept an eye on the crew. Eventually, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays “cousin” — AKA Richie — and Matty Matheson, the real-life chef who portrays the character Fak on screen, emerged from the first floor of the building.

West Loop: On March 9, Jeremy Allen White was filming a scene in the West Loop. A TikTok user posted videos of the show set up outside the now permanently closed restaurant Aikana on Randolph Street, including a glimpse of what appears to be the show’s star in Carmy’s chef uniform.

Armour Square/ Bridgeport: Filming permits filed with the Chicago Department of Transportation indicate this season will include more exploration of the character Marcus, played by actor Lionel Boyce. Boyce was spotted arriving at O’Hare last month, along with fellow actor Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays Tina in the show.

For a full list and a map of the film locations, head here or click the button below.

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

What’s a movie or TV show that you’ve spotted filming in your neighborhood?

Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!

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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers