Respect. Youth, artists and Native American community create something special and beautiful.
At the point where Foster Avenue goes under Lake Shore Drive has always been a pretty dreary spot.
No more.
Now it showcases the largest mosaic or bricolage mural in Chicago. Bricolage is a term that means art works that are constructed from various materials available or on hand.
Led by artists from the Chicago Public Art Group, involving young people from Alternatives and seeking direction from Native American artists, scholars and families, the project has become a destination point on Chicago’s Northside.
The Foster underpass project is different, she says. From the very beginning, the designers and artists wanted to make sure the mural portrayed history from a Native American perspective, says Hagemann.
Local residents were also invited to participate in the mural’s creation. Aimee Bass of Rogers Park contributed a ceramic tile that she painted a dandelion on as a way to promote environmentalism.
“My message is not to put weed killers and toxic chemicals into our environment,” Bass says. “We don’t need to vilify dandelions,” she says, adding that she grows dandelions and use them in food recipes.
