DOWNTOWN — America has spoken, and it's full of Edward Hopper fans.
"Nighthawks at the Diner" from the Art Institute of Chicago's permanent collection is one of 12 pieces of art from the downtown museum chosen by popular vote for the "Art Everywhere" campaign.
The iconic 1942 oil painting got the most votes out of 100 pieces nominated by five participating U.S. art museums competing to be featured in the national initiative.
Public voting opened in April and closed in June, and a total of 58 pieces were chosen to be displayed publicly in August on 50,000 "billboards, bus shelters, subway platforms, airport dioramas, movie theaters and more into a free, open-air art gallery across the country," according to an announcement from the group.
The project is funded mostly by donations from outdoor advertising companies that will display the paintings.
"People across the country will now have the chance to experience a small sample of the vast history and culture that Chicago has to offer," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Lizzie Schiffman explains why some famous works will be displayed:
