Talking Art: Murals of the Lakeview Low-Line

Talking Art: Murals of the Lakeview Low-Line is a three-part virtual event series hosted by Friends of Lakeview and SSA 27 and sponsored by AARP Chicago exploring public art in Lakeview. Held in August, September, and October of 2020, each event in this series will touch on a different plaza of the Lakeview Low-Line and include focused conversations on how public art has transformed Lakeview. 

The third and final event in the series will focus on Ashland East and West Plazas, the most recent addition to the Low-Line where four new murals were installed during 2020. Artists Mauricio Ramirez, Sharon Dowell, Felix Maldonado, Jr., and Antonio Beniquez will speak on their works and enter a panel discussion about their experience in public art. Join us on October 15 at 1 PM via Zoom for this virtual event to learn more about the latest additions to the Lakeview Low-Line! 

Please register for this free event here. The events will be hosted using Zoom. Registered attendees will receive the event link via their confirmation email.

Event Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020

Event Time: 1:00 - 2:30 pm CST

About Mauricio Ramirez

Mauricio Ramirez creates artwork that crosses borders and boundaries. Whether negotiating the identities of clients or corporations, or the intimacies of cultural characteristics within neighborhoods, attention is facilitated with an acute awareness that art in the public space permeates the subconscious. His more personal artwork is a contribution to the community; frequently a cultural icon that transcends rich intersecting historical and popular culture references that speak to the complex diaspora of the United States. Mauricio wholeheartedly believes in the importance of how the visibility of culture can lead to not only the growth of confidence, but also care within communities.  

About Sharon Dowell

Several of Sharon Dowell's works focus on the Universe’s hand coupled with the choices we make that bring us to where we are at this moment in time. Sharon captures the energy of place and explore the theme of man vs. nature. Recent travels abroad have especially impacted her work. Interested in the documentation of memory and place, Sharon strives to find beauty in often overlooked structures and spaces. At times, commentaries on the changing environment and social references surface in the work.

About Felix Maldonado, Jr.

A proud native of East Chicago, Indiana, Felix Maldonado, Jr. is a self-taught artist with 25+ years experience in painting, drawing and graffiti art. In 1995, he received his BFA in Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. His work has landed him at several ad agencies in Chicago directing and producing commercials for companies like Culligan Water, Peoples Energy, Roto-Rooter, Head Tennis and ATA Airlines.

About Antonio Beniquez

Antonio Beniquez grew up on Chicago’s west side in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. From an early age, his art was heavily-inspired by the various graffiti styles that masked the walls of the inner-city. Eventually the love for lettering and hand-styles translated to the modern calligraphy work he's known for. Antonio is a multidisciplinary artist who incorporates his signature calligraphy in an array of different mediums from paint to wearables to metal sculpture.