‘The start of something great’: Mural being planned in downtown Des Plaines

A mural soon could adorn the side of a prominent building in downtown Des Plaines.

The Des Plaines Arts Council is seeking proposals for a mural that would be installed on the west side of the Welkin Apartments building, 1425 Ellinwood St., facing Graceland Avenue. The Welkin is among the largest buildings in the downtown area and dominates the skyline and streetscape there.

The theme of the proposed painting should be nature, the council said in a public call for submissions.

The Welkin Apartments management team suggested the theme. It ties into the building’s name, which means “the vault of the sky” or “heaven” in Old English.

The team has long envisioned incorporating a mural on the building’s facade, business manager Andrew Mollmann said.

“The goal of the project is to create something visually engaging that ties together the building’s identity, the community’s history and the surrounding downtown area,” Mollmann said.

The mural is envisioned for a ground-level wall between the entrance to a public parking garage and a private garage for building residents, Mollmann said. The wall is painted black now.

The mural won’t require city approval because it’ll be painted on private property, said Will Soderberg, president of the arts council.

Regardless Mayor Andrew Goczkowski is excited about the plan. Public art, he said, greatly benefits communities.

“I think it adds character,” Goczkowski said. “It adds identity.”

Proposals are due by July 6. The council expects to choose a muralist by July 31. Installation should begin soon after and be completed by late September.

The nonprofit arts council has budgeted $5,000 for the project.

The mural would be the fourth commissioned by the council, which was founded in 1987 to promote public involvement with and appreciation of the arts. It previously sponsored pieces at the Des Plaines History Center, 781 Pearson St.; American Wildburger, 1534 E. Oakton St.; and what is now the GENCenter, 52 E. Northwest Highway.

Goczkowski would like to see more public art in the city.

“Hopefully this is the start of something great,” he said.

Many suburbs have embraced murals and other forms of public art, such as sculpture exhibitions and painted utility boxes.

Murals can be found in Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights and Palatine, among other towns. Mundelein boasts three: Two are on buildings and one is on a skate ramp in a public park.

For details on the application process or more information about the Des Plaines project, email will@dpartscouncil.org.