Chicago artist Matthew Hoffman to jury 'Love,' West Chicago's 2019 community art banner exhibit

The stars are aligned for "Love," the 2019 community art banner exhibit, as Matthew Hoffman, the renowned Chicago-based artist and creator of the You Are Beautiful art phenomenon and West Chicago's most recent piece of public art, loveevenmore, has agreed to jury the submissions of area artists scrambling to get their artwork in by the Feb. 1 deadline.

"The announcement of Matthew Hoffman as juror of our annual outdoor gallery of Main Street art banners, adds an exciting element to the project," said Rosemary Mackey, cultural arts commission staff liaison.

With close to 30 outdoor installations of his own currently in the Chicago area, including large scale public pieces installed for the City of Chicago, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Albright Knox Gallery and corporate art installations for the likes of Apple, Facebook, Zappos and more, Hoffman brings a level of artistic cred to the small suburb 32 miles west of the big city.

Yet, the humbling messages contained in his body of work, which contain simple, uplifting affirmations of hope, encouragement, and love, resonates well in West Chicago, home to hard-working, caring, family-focused people.

"Who better than artist Matthew Hoffman, creator of loveevenmore, the nine-feet tall steel message that was dedicated on the grounds of the West Chicago Public Library in the summer of 2018, to select the artists to be included in the commission's 2019 display," Mackey said. "Matthew understands the creative link to the subject of this year's art banner theme."

Those wishing to submit a work of art for consideration of "Love" should visit the city of West Chicago's website for all the details and an online application.

Artwork that is accepted will be transferred to 30 x 60 inch vinyl banners and hang on Main Street from May through September.

The exhibit is highly promoted through a walking tour brochure and a People's Choice Award for favorite banner, and last year the series of banners received positive attention from America in Bloom judges who were in West Chicago as part of the national program that judges communities for efforts in community beautification and overall vitality.

To view the banners which have been included in past annual exhibits since 2009, visit westchicago.org/arts/banner-art/.