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New Mural Part of Effort to Boost Art on Howard Street

By Benjamin Woodard | September 30, 2014 5:30am
 Lea Pinsky and Dustin Harris are painting the mural under the Metra viaduct.
Howard Street Mural
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ROGERS PARK — The mural that husband-and-wife-team Lea Pinsky and Dustin Harris is painting under the Metra viaduct is part of a larger effort to bring more artwork to Howard Street.

The brightly colored mural in the 1800 block of West Howard Street isn't done, but it's already turning heads and earning praise from passersby.

"You did this? It looks great!" said one woman walking by Monday as Pinsky and Harris, of Mix Masters Murals, surveyed their work.

"It's always great to see people respond positively to color," Harris said

The duo has completed others murals in the neighborhood, including on Glenwood Avenue as part of the neighborhood's Mile of Murals project, which Pinsky directs.

The vibrant mural is made up of reds, oranges, yellows, purples, greens and blues. From the east side, the mural begins with a series of violets, Illinois' state flower. A message above will read "Love Now."

Next to the flowers, a girl wearing a backpack is shown in front of a map of the city's community areas, including Rogers Park, Edgewater and West Ridge. Farther west, the outlines of a bicycle tire, a record and an apple can be seen.

At the west end of the mural, the artists painted a colorful mandala, a symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism.

The Howard Street special service area taxing district paid for the mural and one other that Pinsky and Harris will complete at a to-be-determined location on Howard, said Paul Reise, who manages the district for the Rogers Park Business Alliance.

"We are in various stages of discussions with several building owners to grant us permission and access to their spaces," Reise said. "Lea and Dustin are such a great asset to the neighborhood and their experience and expertise is instrumental in getting projects such as this done."

Reise said the district intends to bring more art to Howard. Over the summer the district partnered with Ald. Joe Moore (49th) to bring a new sculpture to the garden at Clark and Howard streets.

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