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Potholes To Become Works of Art, Again, Thanks to Fundraising Campaign

By Heather Cherone | February 29, 2016 5:37am
 Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, artist Jim Bachor will be able to turn at least four potholes into works of public art designed to ease the sting of a broken axle or flat tire.
Pothole Mosaics
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JEFFERSON PARK — In a sure sign of spring, potholes will once again bloom across Chicago, as the pavement buckles after another Chiberian winter.

And Jim Bachor could not be happier.

For the third year in a row, Bachor — a mosaic artist who lives on the border between Mayfair and Jefferson Park — will take to the streets to turn the bane of every Chicago driver's existence into a whimsical work of art designed to ease the sting of a broken axle or flat tire.

A successful Kickstarter campaign — which reached its $1,000 goal after just two days — means Bachor will get to install his glass and tile mosaics across Chicago, and perhaps in other cities, he said.

Bachor created his first Chicago flag-themed pothole mosaic in May 2013 after becoming frustrated with a pothole in front of his house, and along the way has become "the world's expert on filling potholes."

Other pothole mosaics have featured flowers, the number of potholes the city says it fills every year and phone numbers for local car repair shops, Bachor said.

Last year, the mosaics featured depictions of ice cream and other summer treats as part of Bachor's "Treats in the Streets" series.

The theme for this year's mosaics will be revealed first to backers of the project on Kickstarter.

"I have a ton of new ideas for future pieces," Bachor said.

While this weekend is supposed to be warm, it is typically mid-April before Bachor can start to complete his work, which needs two consecutive days of 60-degree weather.

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