ROGERS PARK — The Rogers Park Business Alliance is looking for local artists to create a new mural that celebrates Rogers Park’s diversity near the intersection of Clark Street and Lunt Avenue.
Artists can live in Rogers Park or the surrounding neighborhoods, but immediate preference will be given to artists who live in Rogers Park.
The business alliance has been working to revitalize the commercial district of Rogers Park between Edgewater and Evanston. They have begun to implement a master plan for the area, and part of that plan includes beautification.
Carolina Juarez, an immigrant and member of the business alliance, said that multicultural backgrounds are such a large part of the neighborhood, and they’d like to see that reflected in the mural.
“After moving to Rogers Park from Guatemala, we realized we were no longer just one culture,” she said. “That is the experience for many Rogers Park residents who often come from South America, Asia and Africa.”
After consulting with the community for input on how to improve Rogers Park, many residents asked for the alliance to work to add more artwork to the area. The business alliance received two grants to commission the mural, one from Groupon and one from the Union Pacific Railroad.
“Groupon really wanted to see more color in the community,” Juarez said. “But Union Pacific wanted to create a more aesthetically pleasing commute for their passengers.”
The theme of the mural will be centered around celebrating the diversity of the Rogers Park commercial district, Juarez said. The Rogers Park Business Alliance is looking for submissions that reflect “a sense of place and belonging” as well as murals that are social media friendly.
Artists (or teams of artists) who are interested in applying need to do so before Feb. 28. They can submit a photograph or sketch of their plan for the mural and the business alliance will notify them if they’ve been chosen to paint the project by March 15.
Artists selected will receive a $5,000 stipend and are responsible for preparation of the wall, power washing, priming, design and materials.
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