Best Places Urban Art Chicago Near Me

4worldlovers:
But not the railroad underpass on Peoria Street between 16th Street and 16th Place in Pilsen.

With more than 30 artists working in a variety of styles, its walls were transformed over one long weekend in October into a series of elaborate murals, becoming a colorful outdoor gallery:

There is a painting of a woman — with no mouth and no pupils but a lot of very blue hair.

There’s a face with thick eyebrows and neon-outlined flowers in her hair, representing the 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

In another piece, reddish skulls are set against a green landscape that includes spaceships lifting off.

One mural features the masked figure Fray Tormenta — a legendary Mexican priest and professional wrestler — in priestly garb, his hands outstretched, colorful birds flanking him.

And there are blue- and purple-faced, cartoon-type characters surrounding a purple-bottomed shoe.

The project was overseen by Delilah Martinez, owner of the Vault Gallerie in Pilsen and the force behind the “Mural Movement” that’s been creating “Black and Brown unity murals” across Chicago since racial unrest erupted this past summer.

Martinez says viaducts “connect communities” yet often “have a reputation as dark and scary.”

The project was a collective effort, she says, between the artists volunteering their time, and neighbors, donors and city officials.

The area already was exploding with street art. A long retaining wall along 16th Street has served as a concrete canvas for years, with dozens of paintings stretching for blocks and making the strip one of Chicago’s biggest expanses of public art — and one constantly changing and growing.

The artists on the viaduct project came from different places, but all “knew the history of Pilsen and the culture of 16th Street and the murals along that area,” Martinez says.

4worldlovers: In fall 2023, Intuit will embark on construction to renovate and transform its 150-year-old historic building into a modern, accessible museum, tentatively scheduled to reopen in summer 2024. Join us in transforming our hidden gem into a crown jewel by supporting the campaign!


Ted Degener has spent 50+ years trekking across the U.S., seeking encounters with and photographing 400+ makers of art environments. His first major exhibition, At Home with Artists features a selection of portraits by Degener, accompanied by pieces by L.V. Hull, Leonard Knight and Dr. Charles Smith.