Murals and Mosaics

Murals and Mosaics

A series that aims to capture, catalog and celebrate the beauty of Chicago’s streets, as seen through its public art.

"Argyle-O-Rama" by Mayumi Lake

Murals and Mosaics

Art at CTA Red Line stations in Edgewater, Uptown unveiled as part of reconstruction

The artwork will be featured in the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations, set to reopen next year after years of construction.

By Mary Norkol

Artist Erick Chavez painted this mural on the viaduct at North Elizabeth and West Hubbard streets in West Town during the pandemic in 2020.

Murals and Mosaics

West Town mural was painted in 2020 to bring color during the pandemic

“I try to draw an expression,” muralist Erick Chavez says. “You’re going to get a moment in time.”

By Genevieve Bookwalter

Newsletters

Artist Daryl Harris.

Murals and Mosaics newsletter

This Berwyn mural features aliens, monsters and ... a chicken wing?

This week’s murals and mosaics newsletter features a sci-fi mural in Berwyn, mysterious penguin paintings and public art in nearby Milwaukee.

By Sun-Times staff

A mural by the artist Ladie One near Hubbard and Morgan streets.

Murals and Mosaics newsletter

Creating this West Side mural was a spiritual exercise of sorts

A sprawling mural on Chicago’s Near West Side, viaduct art inspired by Aztec and Mayan art and public art in Kansas City are all featured in this week’s newsletter.

By Sun-Times staff

Everett Reynolds’ mural on Racine Avenue near 16th Street.

In dank locale on outskirts of Pilsen, this painting aims to bring light

This week’s newsletter features a viaduct mural that brings something beautiful to a gloomy viaduct, religious murals and mosaics and revitalized South Side art.

By Sun-Times staff

Interactive map of Chicago’s murals and mosaics

Each point on the map is clickable, with a photo, description and sometimes a link to a story about the mural. You can zoom in to focus on a particular neighborhood or suburb.

Artist Joe “CUJODAH” Nelson’s mural in Pullman honors the Pullman porters.

Mural captures Pullman porters’ history

By Katie Anthony

“Forces of Pullman Labor” mural by Bernard Williams is on display at the Chicago Public Library in Pullman, and it depicts Pullman’s labor history.

Letters to the Editor

There’s a historic mural worth checking out at the Pullman Branch library

“Forces of Pullman Labor” by Bernard Williams depicts Pullman’s labor history, a librarian writes.

By Letters to the Editor

One part of the labor-themed mural by John Pitman Weber and the late Jose Guerrero inside the United Electrical Workers union hall at 37 S. Ashland Ave.

Near West Side union hall’s sale could mean ‘heartbreaking’ destruction of historic union-themed mural

By Sun-Times staff

Wilfredo Garcia paints a brightly colored picture of baseball player Roberto Clemente and a Puerto Rican flag while on the grass outside the American Islamic College in Chicago

Venezuelan artist paints his way to Chicago: ‘I never dreamed I would do that’

By Michael Loria

A mural titled “America Needs a Hug” done in Dubuque in 2018 by the artists WERC and GERALUZ.

Dubuque, known for its natural beauty, embraces murals

By Sun-Times staff

This mural in Northbrook featuring colorful birds and other elements of the outdoors was painted recently by Terry Luc and Gerry Luc.

In Northbrook mural, nods to nature and, of course, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

By Sun-Times staff

Jappy Agoncillo’s mural in Logan Square, which features a baseball player wearing Cubs colors, a giant bear and other hidden Chicago symbols.

Artist from New York gives his take on Chicago in new Logan Square mural

By Katie Anthony

Laura Junge painted this mural in Lake View in October.

Why does this Lake View mural picture an octopus, seahorses and a skywriting rat?

By Sun-Times staff

Stef Skills’ mural honoring the seminal rap group Public Enemy.

Humboldt Park artist Stef Skills loves Public Enemy and paid tribute to the hip-hop icons with a mural

By Sun-Times staff

Un mural que representa a Estados Unidos y México adorna la pared lateral de la casa de Martín Castillo.

La Voz Chicago

Martín Castillo pinta un mural en su casa para reflejar su herencia

La casa del lado suroeste, cerca de Midway, tiene escenas que simbolizan la vida en Estados Unidos y México, donde nació.

By Katie Anthony

Un mural que representa a Estados Unidos y México adorna la pared lateral de la casa de Martín Castillo.

Martin Castillo had a mural painted on his house near Midway Airport to reflect his heritage

By Katie Anthony

“Culture is Power,” a mural at 79th Street and East End Avenue that Max Sansing painted in 2018 and which he recently restored.

Max Sansing’s ‘Culture is Power’ mural is reborn on the South Side

By Sun-Times staff

A graffiti piece done by Zwon this year on a freight train on the South Side.

Painting from rooftops and tagging trains, graffiti artist Zwon is making his mark on Chicago

By Robert Herguth

The “Builders of the Cultural Present” mural at 71st Street and Jeffery Avenue.

Historic ‘Van Gogh on the block’ mural restored on the South Side, then nearly destroyed

By Sun-Times staff

A new interactive mural features a goal and instructions on how to position your foot to strike a ball. It also depicts some simple footwork and passing drills, as well as targets for players to aim at.

Interactive mural on West Side aims to coach, inspire next generation of soccer players

By Emmanuel Camarillo

This mural by artists Joel Amore and Javier Pretelin Sanchez in downtown Elgin honors the late Rocky Lopez.

Rocky Lopez, Elgin tortilla-maker and aspiring actor, honored in a mural after his death at 53

By Katie Anthony

The mural “Sweet Dreams” by the artist Luyu.

‘We all have a soft spot for treats,’ artist behind new Pilsen mural says

By Sun-Times staff

A mural painted by the artist Ocean Muerto in August near 18th and Clark streets.

With Chinatown mural, artist Ocean Muerto says he’s playing with the idea of ‘dust to dust’

By Sun-Times staff

Gina Caruso created this mural at the Loyola Park seawall featuring images of her husband’s face year after year on Post-It Notes.

In Rogers Park, love notes from artist Gina Caruso to her husband Keith Lord inspire a lakefront mural

By Sun-Times staff

Little Village youth share culture through graffiti mural project

By Sandra Treviño

Students at Stateville prison find empowerment, hope in arts education

By Kaitlin Washburn

Part of a new Pilsen mural, overseen by artist Mario Mena and intended to celebrate Mexican heritage as well as promote the Chicago Bulls.

In Pilsen mural, skeletons riding stampeding cattle offer a nod to Mexican heritage, the Bulls

By Sun-Times staff

A new mural on the West Side by the CAB crew that features characters from “The Transformers.”

‘Transformers’ figures transform a West Side wall in a new mural

By Sun-Times staff

Berwyn artist Ken Reif loves nature and trees, as he shows in this Oak Park mural of a giant tree.

In Oak Park mural, Ken Reif’s towering tree takes centerstage because ‘I love trees and nature’

By Sun-Times staff

Brandin Hurley’s mural at Grand and Michigan avenues.

Brandin Hurley’s Celtic goddess mural let her ‘reach back to my family’s Irish roots’

By Sun-Times staff

Clare Bollnow and the graffiti artist known as Joos painted this mural on Belmont Avenue just east of California Avenue in Avondale in May.

If you find Clare Bollnow’s Avondale mural a little unsettling, she’s OK with that

By Sun-Times staff

Eric Lee, an artist from Ukrainian Village, painted this mural of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, on a building at 1290 N. Clybourn in Old Town in June.

In Old Town mural, artist Eric Lee captures Wile E. Coyote’s futile pursuit of the Road Runner

By Sun-Times staff

A mural of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo by Chicago-area artist Mauricio Ramirez.

Giannis Antetokounmpo mural in Milwaukee is the work of Cicero artist Mauricio Ramirez

By Sun-Times staff

Artist Danny Torres painted this mural on a three-story brick building at 815 W. Armitage Ave. in Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Park mural has an old school vibe except for the pigeon wearing a hardhat

By Sun-Times staff

Matthew Jesiolowski’s abstract murals on an exterior wall of Chicago Auto Recon Body Shop, 1358 W. Cermak Rd.

For Pilsen body shop mural, artist drew on the work of Jackson Pollock and Shel Silverstein

By Katie Anthony

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