CHICAGO — Ed Wehmer loves driving past Chicago's "mural building."
The four-story warehouse at 1735 N. Ashland Ave. next to the Kennedy Expressway has, for decades, been famous for its giant murals, at times slowing down traffic as drivers checked out the artwork.
Since late 2013, Wintrust Financial Corp. has owned the rights of showcasing the murals on the building. Wehmer, Wintrust's president and chief executive officer, sees the mural several times a week on his way from Wintrust's suburban Rosemont headquarters to its office Downtown.
Sr. Editor Justin Breen on the continuously evolving murals overlooking the Kennedy.
"But you know who really gets a kick out of it? All the local charities," Wehmer said.
Wehmer said the murals rotate about every five weeks. Through Sunday, a mural featuring SOS Children's Villages will cover the building. Starting Monday, it will be replaced by one for March of Dimes.
Wintrust leases the top floor of the warehouse for storage from building owner Ted Wynn, Wehmer said. Wintrust took over the mural rights in 2013 after Bank of America's lease expired in October of that year, according to Crain's.
"We snatched it up, and our idea was it would be a great way to support local charities," Wehmer said.
The building has used three of its exterior walls for murals for decades, started by the former Bigsby & Kruthers clothing company. Probably the most famous mural was of Dennis Rodman in 1996 where the Bulls' star's hair would change colors every few days. That mural slowed and even halted traffic at times.
Here's the list of this year's murals, according to Wehmer, with some renderings of the murals below:
Through Sunday: SOS Children's Villages
April 11-May 29: March of Dimes (March for Babies)
May 30-July 17: Lincoln Library + Chicago History Museum
July 18-Sept. 4: 100 Club of Cook and Lake Counties (50th Anniversary)
Sept. 5-Oct. 16: City Year
Oct. 17-Nov. 27: Bernie's Book Bank
Nov. 28-Jan. 8, 2017: Catholic Charities (Happy Holidays)
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
