This month, Chicagoans can expect to see some vibrant images and thought-provoking messages during their commute on the Blue, Orange and Green Lines. Among several “moving murals” currently displayed on select CTA trains is the picture of a young girl standing among daffodils, meant as a symbol of hope. Another train features a hand painting the phrase “New Ideas” amid a bevy of flowers.
A third includes the phrase “Help us bridge the gap” while showing the juxtaposition of the city’s pristine downtown and the disrepair of certain neighborhoods. Designed by local artists, these train wraps are part of several new public art projects announced by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Several murals will be installed in Humboldt Park, the West Loop and Woodlawn/Washington Park.
Others will go up in additional neighborhoods this fall. All will either celebrate Chicago’s blues and house music legacies, or reflect themes of democracy, civic duty, or diversity, equity and inclusion. Titled “Track(ed) Changes: Democracy runs through our neighborhoods,” the train wrap project was curated by Chicago-based graphic designer and artist Bob Faust.
The designs will run for the next three months and may remain on display for up to a year, depending on their condition. Overlapping with this week’s Democratic National Convention, the works are an expression of the artists’ ideas of democracy. “By choosing art.