Croatian landscape murals on North Side honor Chicago-based diaspora

As the Croatian Cultural Center turns 50 this year, a set of new murals, finished in Spring 2023, will remind celebrants of their homeland as they celebrate in West Ridge.

“I put my heart and soul into it,” says artist Ivan (John) Mikan. “We’re a big part of the community.”

Mikan says he’s been painting his entire life and is known for his talent in the Croatian community. When he was asked to paint the four 12-foot tall panels, Mikan says he chose images of Croatia that he hopes resonate with the Croatian diaspora on Chicago’s North Side and in the near north suburbs.

Genevieve Bookwalter

“It’s impossible to get everyone’s hometown” in the murals, he chuckled, although many hoped he would somehow capture theirs. “I purposely didn’t choose where my parents are from.”

Instead, he chose scenes he hopes will resonate with those whose families immigrated from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The first panel shows Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia, the nation’s capital.

“Many people have family buried here. It’s a connection with our ancestors,” Mikan says. The cemetery holds bodies of hundreds of thousands of residents who observed a number of different religions. It’s a scenic and beloved place to visit, he said.

The second panel shows the Krka Waterfalls in southern Croatia. Mikan says he chose this image because it represents Croatians’ connection with the outdoors.

“A lot of the nature is untouched” in Croatia, he says, and these waterfalls are particularly popular.

Genevieve Bookwalter

The third panel showcases a cobblestone street representing “typical coastal town charm,” he says. It’s not one town in particular, but rather a recognizable tribute to the architecture and everyday life along the Adriatic Sea.

Genevieve Bookwalter

The fourth and final panel shows the historic city of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea. Many non-Croatians might recognize its features from the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, which was shot here among the cypress and palm trees and Spanish-style, orange-tile roofs. All of those are represented in the mural.

Genevieve Bookwalter

Mikan, an arborist, took about five weeks off work last year to paint the panels on the cultural center’s north outside wall, he says. He was switching jobs, so the timing was ideal. He submitted four smaller renderings for the Rogers Park Business Alliance officials’ approval before beginning his work.

All four panels were done freehand, without stencils or an image projected onto the wall for him to trace, he says. The artwork is dedicated to his parents, who immigrated to the United States before he was born. His mom died while he was painting the murals.

Mikan grew up in Edgewater and Rogers Park, and says his parents raised him in the Croatian Cultural Center community on Devon Avenue west of California Avenue. He learned folklore dance there as a kid, and met his future wife there, too. They now live in Glenview with their four kids. His paintings are on permanent display at Blessed Aloysius Stepinac Croatian Catholic Mission, where he serves as a deacon.

While Mikan was born in the United States, “I’ve been to all of these places” represented in his murals, he says. “You have to see it to understand.”

Funding for the murals was provided by Devon Avenue Special Service Area 43, and administered by the nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance, says Sandi Price, executive director of Rogers Park Business Alliance.

“Public art is well loved and supported in Rogers Park and West Ridge for its power to tell the story of our community and enhance public spaces,” Price says. “Devon Avenue is home to a highly diverse group of residents and the mural is a reflection of the people’s identity and belonging.”

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