'A vibrant work of art': Mundelein to celebrate newest public mural at Lions Park
Grab a camera - and a skateboard if you've got one - and head to Mundelein's Lions Park on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the village's latest public mural.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 4 p.m. at the Lions Park skate ramp, 601 Noel Drive. Artist Amanda E. Gross will be there, too.
Working with the Mundelein Park and Recreation District, the village-funded Mundelein Arts Commission hired Gross to paint the mural. Gross grew up in Mundelein and now splits her time between Grayslake and Atlanta.
Reconnecting with the Mundelein community while she worked was an unexpected pleasure, Gross said. She spoke with kids using the skate park, neighborhood residents walking their dogs past the skate ramp as she worked and people who knew her as a child stopping by to check out her progress.
The mural, which measures 28 feet by 6 feet, is split into three distinct parts. Gross titled the painting "Mundelein is ... a Place of Peace ... and Skating."
The left side has information about Mundelein's history and corresponding images against a yellow background.
The right side shows popular skateboarding moves against a light blue background.
The center depicts the late Matt Rogan, a frequent skate park user who died in 2010, walking among native plants against a black background. The skate ramp is dedicated to Rogan and features a plaque honoring him.
"I'm so proud of the mural," Gross said. "It's my favorite project thus far, in 20 years as a professional artist."
Arts commission Chair Joyce Lee called the piece "a vibrant work of art."
"The completed mural is stunning, and even more than we ever expected," she said.
Mundelein officials long have encouraged and funded public art. Projects have included a mural on the side of a Park Street building, a statue at the police station and an interactive sculpture in Courtland Commons park.
This summer, a privately commissioned mural depicting a 1940s-era street scene was painted on the side of a commercial building at 543 N. Lake St.
Painted stars and cows have been displayed in the village, too.
The arts commission is exploring options for its next project, Lee said. The group hopes to sponsor more pieces but also is encouraging privately backed projects, like the Lake Street mural, she said.
"The (commission's) main goal is to have everyone thinking of ways to explore the arts," Lee said. "The entire Mundelein community is an exciting canvas, waiting to burst with the joy of the arts."