CHICAGO — It's almost that time of year when a handful of gaping, dangerous holes in the street get chosen to become pleasing works of art — but it doesn't come free.
The warming weather means Mayfair-based artist Jim Bachor is getting ready to launch the fifth round of his renowned Pothole Art Installation Project, and he can only beautify as many damaged streets as his crowdfunding campaign allows.
Each year since 2013, Bachor has filled at least a dozen holes around the city with mini-mosaics, all centered on a unifying theme. His Kickstarter page will close at the end of the day Sunday, and while he long ago blew past his $5,000 goal, as of Friday morning he was still far behind the $15,000 he raked in for last year's project.
In 2016 every installation depicted "pretty trash," like a Cheetoh bag or a crushed beer can. The prior year saw various desserts, and flowers the year before that.
Bachor has yet to reveal the theme for this year's series, but it will carry on the tradition of representing a "universal truth," he said.
"Everyone hates potholes, so I like to juxtapose them with things that are universally liked," Bachor said.
For anyone wondering what kinds of colorful images they'll see splashed into the pavement this time around, they'll have to wait — unless they donate to the Kickstarter, in which case they'll be the first to know, he said. Depending on how much donors give, they could also earn a sticker, a patch or a signed poster from the artist.
The donations help pay for the high-grade Italian glass Bachor fuses together in his studio before cementing it into the ground — but only if it's the right spot, he said.
"It has to be about an 18-inch-by-24-inch hole, the street can't be too beat up, and it can't be way out in the middle of the street where the work would impede traffic," Bachor said. "So I ask people to keep an eye out to let me know which potholes are appropriate."
The project will likely begin in earnest within the next few weeks, he said.
