HYDE PARK — New works from local artists and those with ties to the neighborhood are now on display at two viaducts in Hyde Park, replacing pieces that were there for nearly two decades.
The 53rd Street and 55th Street viaducts under the Metra Electric tracks near Lake Park Avenue have been home to the Viaduct Galleries, where panels have featured artworks from Margaret Burroughs, Calvin Jones, Terry Evans and others since 2008.
A new wave of artists are now featured at the galleries, and their works were unveiled Thursday with a sidewalk ceremony.
The pieces are “a celebration of love, safe spaces and spaces you want to be involved with [in] experiencing family and culture,” said Raymond Thomas, creative director for the Jazz Institute of Chicago and one of the 19 artists whose work was chosen for display.
“I think it all is beautiful work. I’m very proud to be a part of it,” Thomas said.
The artworks chosen are different takes on the idea of Hyde Park as a community, from Thomas’ “Hyde Park Jazz Jam” — a reflection on his 40 years of experiencing jazz music in the neighborhood — to Ann Toebbe‘s “Bonjour Bakery,” an ode to the shop, which closed in 2023.
For profiles on the artists featured along 53rd Street, click here. To learn more about the 55th Street artists, click here.
“Some of our artists are self-taught, some are prolific graffiti artists and some flew in just for this event,” said Stephanie Strickland, project manager with the Chicago Public Art Group. “All of them have a love and respect for Hyde Park.”
The project to bring new art to the viaducts was funded by Special Service Area No. 61, Hyde Park’s taxing district to support local businesses which is managed by the South East Chicago Commission. The project was overseen by the Chicago Public Art Group, which supports the creation and restoration of public artworks across the city.
The organizers began accepting artists’ submissions last year and pledged to pay each selected artist a $3,000 stipend. Jurors from the Hyde Park and South Side Community art centers reviewed about 600 submissions, which were whittled down to 30 finalists before the 19 artworks were selected.
The gallery and other viaduct-based art projects — like the “Meeting of Styles” graffiti exhibition on the Southeast Side, or the mosaic just north of the gallery on 47th Street — show just how much creative energy is in the community, artist Andy Bellomo said.
“When a whole bunch of artists get together, there’s a collective energy, a collective imagination, a collective resistance that works with each other, for the community and for the city,” said Bellomo, whose “Stained Glass Pride Flag” is seen along 53rd Street. “I really wanted to be part of a group project where artists were side by side … giving back to the community.
Public art projects like the viaduct gallery are essential to the South Side, said artist Kalief Dinkins. His “Dreams Come True In Chicago” is at the far southwestern edge of the 53rd Street viaduct.
Dinkins, a Roseland native, has lived in Hyde Park since the pandemic and considered Hyde Park his “north star” growing up. Joined by friends who boisterously celebrated his selection for the project, he hoped his piece can help young South Siders better appreciate the creativity and beauty that abounds in the community.
“To be a part of this project is a full-circle moment for me,” Dinkins said. “A lot of my artwork is a message to the community, but also to the kids. Chicago is a place that you don’t have to leave to become successful, no matter what you decide that to be.”
The artworks are expected to remain at the viaducts for at least three years. The next step in improving the viaducts will be installing new lighting, local leaders said.
“This is not the final step,” said George Rumsey, a Special Service Area No. 61 commissioner. “Stay tuned and you’ll see new things coming to our viaducts [for] a greater, brighter Hyde Park.”
The South East Chicago Commission and Choose Chicago have also partnered on a $200,000 project to install nine wayfinding kiosks around Hyde Park, commission Executive Director Diane Burnham announced at the unveiling.
The kiosks will be installed from 56th Street and Stony Island Avenue north to 53rd Street and Woodlawn Avenue, Burnham said.
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