Grand Mural Tour on Chicago’s North Shore

A wonderful way to explore more on Chicago’s North Shore is to seek out and marvel at the gorgeous murals decorating charming local businesses and bustling public spaces. Beautiful swaths of color and meaningful messages celebrate more than just the arts. Discover these vibrant, exciting public art achievements with this guide to get you started.  

Want to see more? Check out Art Encounter’s Mural Map for Evanston and Skokie’s Public Art and Parks page for details. 
 

Elevate Mural, Sholo Beverly, Evanston

Central Street Evanston: The Sky’s the Limit
On the Western end of Central Street in Evanston, Chicago artist Sholo Beverly partnered with talented participants from Curt’s Café’s workforce development program to design and paint "Elevate" (2922 Central St.). The vibrant colors swirl and intertwine to embody the uplifting message of personal growth. Head toward to lake to catch sight of "Birds of Concern" by Chicago artist Tyrue Slang Jones (Green Bay Rd. and Central St., northwest corner). The beautifully-framed piece depicts bird species threatened by climate change: the Blackburnian Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker, and American Kestrel. Across the intersection, Nick Goettling’s "Constellations and Connections” bridges the east and west business districts conjuring images of stargazers and the cosmos through the view of a cat’s cradle along the Central Street Metra underpass.
 

Time to Breathe Mural, Max Sansing, Evanston

Downtown Evanston: Celebrating Together
Venture around the Metra stairs at Davis Street and take "Time to Breathe" with an exciting piece by Max Sansing. The design was inspired by the positive impact nature has on our mental health and overall wellbeing. Some murals take advantage of the vertical spaces downtown buildings create. Nearby, Rubén Aguirre went straight up six stories with a bold design celebrating the renovation of 820 Davis Street. Jason Brown and Lea Pinsky riffed on the geometric approach with "Zip Code Mandalas,” a mural using a visually graphed rendering of Evanston’s zip codes (1712 Rear 2 Sherman Ave.). The painted parts were created by youth and community members during three city-wide festivals. Circle back to the Metra underpass at Church and Maple streets for the mural by Anthony Lewellen whose jaunty illustrations of burgers, tacos, bikes, and more highlight the abundance of offerings throughout the neighborhood.
 

Custer Oasis Mural, Brett Whitacre, Evanston

Main-Dempster Mile Evanston: From Colorpop to Culturally Significant
At the Dempster end of this shopping and dining hub, Detroit artist Ouizi, aka Louise Jones, showered the brick façade of the building with a colorful medley of botanicals and insects native to the region, including blooms that dwarf the windows (1233 Chicago Ave.). Head south to the Custer Oasis, an outdoor dining space shared by local restaurants, where Brett Whitacre’s fun, immersive backdrop of pretty foliage and flowers adorn the adjacent Custer Avenue Metra underpass and ramp. The other end of this stop on the commuter train features text from the City of Evanston’s Resolution to End Structural Racism (CTA underpass at Washington St. and Chicago Ave.). Designer and letterpress printer Ben Blount crafted this dynamic and graphic mural to wrap the concrete and signal-boost the message.
 

Portal, Dustin Harris, Evanston

Around Town Evanston: Art for Heart and Head
Bidding viewers to "Trust Your Heart,” Evanston artists and co-founders of the Evanston Mural Arts Program Dustin Harris and Lea Pinsky painted this stirring mural in reds, purples, and golds near Evanston Township High School (Church St. and Darrow Ave.). Venture South to check out "Portal" by Dustin Harris charming riders and drivers alike with the positively vibrating concentric circles across from the South Boulevard Metra/CTA underpass at Chicago Avenue. Highlighting the natural beauty of Ridgeville Park District’s community garden, Cheri Lee Charlton added an intricate and uplifting piece along with a series of kindred benches (South Blvd. and Ridge Ave.).
 

Skokie Theatre Mural, Sick Fisher, Skokie

Downtown Skokie: Up and Around All of Downtown
Take some time to stroll around this area and be sure to look up for some of the sweet art embellishing this busy business center. Chicago artist Sick Fisher painted the stunning 3,200-square-foot north wall of The Skokie Theatre at 7924 Lincoln Avenue with framed vignettes that celebrate the performing arts. Shawn Smith, known as Shawnimals, created the mural across the street (7927 Lincoln Ave.) where cheery faces in primary colors peek over other storefronts. Internationally-known street artist, WrdSmth from Los Angeles decorated two ends of the street (7919 Lincoln Ave.; 8118 Lincoln Ave.). His work stars a classic typewriter proclaiming a positive message on the emerging white page.

Nate Otto’s cityscape mural is another second-story surprise (8042 Lincoln Ave.) somewhere between the worlds of folk art, street art, and contemporary fine art as he explores the urban landscape. Across the street (8056 Lincoln Ave.), the Peruvian-Canadian muralist called Peru created the shapely "Skokie" mural as part of his work exploring the theme of home and our existential need as humans to find a place to belong. The dazzling spread on the east wall at 5035 Oakton Street by nationally- and internationally-recognized Jeff Zimmermann weaves a flashy pop culture sensibility with realistic portraits, intricate sketches, and geometric swaths of color. 

Miishkookie Exterior Mural, Lauren Asta, Skokie

Exploring Across Skokie: Graphic Arts Explosions
Chicago-based muralist Kate Lynn Lewis created the expansive mural on the west wall of Sketchbook Brewing (4901 Main St.). Her “Impossible Geometry” offers up interactive patterns that force the brain to think creatively in an attempt to make sense of an impossible arrangement of colorful lines. The playful black-and-white spread at 4517 Oakton St. was painted by Lauren Asta, a San Francisco illustrator who specializes in doodle art, street art, and murals. Her wacky cast of characters going "Skooo" and "Kleee" all jumbled hilariously together stir up some mirth for passers-by.
 

Terry and Gerry Luc Mural, Northbrook

Downtown Northbrook
Newer to the North Shore, the four seasons shine with local birds among the trees and flowers of a delightful mural at 1353 Shermer Road by father and son team Terry and Gerry Luc. And in a special nod to Ferris Bueller's Day Off — one of many John Hughes movies set in or near Northbrook — an iconic water tower makes an appearance.