In celebration of the Bloomingdale Trail’s 10th anniversary, a new mural under the trail on Milwaukee Avenue over Labor Day weekend (photo above courtesy All Star Press).
The mural is in conjunction with the launch of a year-long poster series, with one poster by a different Chicago artist released each month. The series kicks off with Sentrock, a self-taught Chicago street artist known for his signature bird mask over a human figure.
The mural and print, titled “BLOOM — A Chicago Story,” honor the trail’s journey from industrial rail line to elevated greenway where communities walk, hike, create, and connect. As Sentrock writes, “In many ways, the Bloomingdale Trail has become a new symbol of home for Chicago — a place where history, culture, and environment intersect. Through this mural, we recognize not only the trail’s past, but the blooming future it continues to inspire.”
Sentrock will be followed in the Bloomingdale Trail print series by Blake Jones, Cujo, Delisha, Elloo, Jeff Pak, Kate Lewis, Katie Lukes, Liz Flores, Ramiro Huizar, and several others. The print series is being curated and printed by All Star Press, a pillar in the local community located on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square. The creative agency chose artists that were inspired by the Bloomingdale Trail and their love of Chicago. Each print has 6 colors and represents different iconic moments on the Bloomingdale Trail storied history.
“The Trail is such an important canvas for artists on the Northwest Side,” says Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, Owner of AllStarPress. “There’s no better way to honor the Bloomingdale Trail’s 10th anniversary. The series takes its inspiration from the many different ways people encounter the Bloomingdale Trail.” Each of the 12 prints will have a limited release of 100 and be available for sale at AllStarPressChicago.com. Ten collector’s box sets of all 12 prints are also available and include merch from both the Bloomingdale Trail and All Star Press!
Starting in the ’80s and ’90s, neighbors were going up on the Bloomingdale embankment to explore, make art, even mountain bike—drawn in by the wild nature that was taking back the rail line. People created their own “desire lines,” literally laying the groundwork for a future Bloomingdale Trail with their own feet.
Muralists and graffiti artists were among the first to reclaim the old Bloomingdale rail line for the community. Artists adopted the many miles of walls of the Bloomingdale Trail since decades before the park opened. Several more murals are planned for the Trail over the next year, drawn from among the amazing collection of artists participating in the print series.
There are endless ways people enjoy the Trail, from walking, biking, and skating to birding, picnicking, and of course painting. The Bloomingdale Trail’s 10th Anniversary Poster Series and accompanying murals are an acknowledgment and celebration of these many ways of seeing the Bloomingdale Trail.
