Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Magnificent Mile® Association has unveiled newly installed murals adorning several previously bare concrete walls along Lower Michigan Avenue. Lower Michigan Avenue is a vital Chicago artery accessing many iconic buildings, including The Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower Residences, The Realtor® Building, and The InterContinental Chicago. Lower Michigan Avenue also houses the only entrance to the famous Billy Goat Tavern. Now residents, employees along Michigan Avenue, and tourists alike can enjoy vibrant artwork as they walk and drive along the Lower Avenue.
The murals were created by three talented local artists, Andy Bellomo, James Jankowiak, and Brandin Hurley as part of project Undercurrent, an initiative of The Magnificent Mile Association funded by a grant from The City of Chicago’s Central City Recovery Program. The artists were prompted with this question as they began creating their artwork, “If you were to create an exciting ‘mirror’ image of what was above below, how might that look?”
The idea for Undercurrent was first introduced by Stanley Nitzberg, a Board member of The Magnificent Mile Association and Principal at Mid-America Real Estate Corporation. “In our travels to London, my wife and I always visited Leake Street Arches for inspiration. It is a unique program where urban art beautifies the underbelly of London’s Waterloo station. It brings people together. Congratulations to the City of Chicago and the Association for funding and executing this first phase of Undercurrent.”
The best way to see the murals is by foot, via the stairs from upper Michigan Avenue, at 430 N. Michigan Avenue. Lower Michigan Avenue can also be accessed via the stairway on the east side of the upper Avenue, or by car from Illinois Street, Wacker Drive and other nearby streets. Once below, you can find the works in these three locations:
- Hubbard Street, below The Realtor Building. Mural by Andy Bellomo, a self-taught artist who began her creative interest as a young teen studying the color, light, shapes, and lines of traditional stained glass in churches.
- Grand Avenue. Mural by James Jankowiak, a Chicago-born artist and educator whose current paintings and installations focus on the role of color and familiar form as a means of communication in our day-to-day environment.
- The Intercontinental Hotel. Mural by Brandin Hurley, an artist who creates installations, sculptures, and fine art utilizing clean contemporary lines to honor the beauty and diversity of the natural world.
“We are very interested in bringing more art to The Magnificent Mile district,” says Kimberly Bares, CEO and President of The Magnificent Mile Association. “The Mag Mile is known globally for its stunning architecture and art. Adding installations to Lower Michigan Avenue with these dazzling murals is an exciting extension of our heritage.”
The Magnificent Mile® Association was founded in 1912 and is a private, nonprofit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique, multi-use neighborhoods. For more information on Undercurrent, An Artistic Gateway to The Magnificent Mile visit Undercurrent.
For more information about the artists, please visit:
