Forest Park geared up for an explosion of color and creativity as Brushes on the Bridge returned to the Circle Avenue bridge on Saturday.
This collaborative art initiative aims to unite residents and local groups in crafting more than 100 miniature murals along the sidewalks of the Circle Avenue bridge that stretches over the Eisenhower Expressway.
The initiative, organized by the Arts Alliance Forest Park in collaboration with the Village of Forest Park, promised to be a celebration of community engagement and artistic expression.
Inspired by a desire to beautify the bridge and foster community cohesion, Brushes on the Bridge first debuted seven years ago. Since then, it has become a beloved tradition, with organizers adopting a five-year timetable to refresh the mural and maintain its vibrancy.
Forest Park resident Jana Schroeder and her daughter Tara participated in the first Brushes on the Bridge in 2017 and noted how it is a good bonding activity to participate in.
“We are painting bees. I decided it was going to be my summer of bees. Although on this painting I will be adding some flowers and adding a few cicadas since this is the year the cicadas will emerge,” Schroeder said.
Other community members are doing this to help promote their business. Chicago resident Milton Coronado is an artist and was asked by his friend who owns Pet Emporium in Forest Park to create a painting.
When asked about his process on creating the painting, Coronado said that since it is his friend’s business, he had to go to her and ask what her ideas were.
“My friend’s idea was to make it artistic and focus more on the art and less on the words and adding a cat and dog and I went with that idea by creating cartoon dogs and cats,” Coronado said.
For others, it is about preserving history. Bob Cox is a resident of Forest Park and dedicated his painting to his house.
“I am painting the front doors of my home. My house is more than 150 years old, and it used to be the original farmhouse with 40 acres situated on Madison Street,” Cox said.
Karen Rozmus, President of Forest Park’s Art Alliance, spearheads the project.
“This time is going to be just as amazing as when we first did it when we did it seven years ago. It was to beautify the bridge which was in terrible shape. Over the years the murals have rusted,” Rozmus said.
Rozmus noted that this is a six-month project and there are a lot of threads to hold together and how the community comes together.
“We have artists, sponsors, community organizations, historical societies, garden clubs, the Animal Care League of Oak Park, and schools participating. The library is also involved; it’s a wonderful community event,” Rozmus said.
Sponsors for the event include the Village of Forest Park, the Park District of Forest Park, Ferrara Candy Company, Chris Everett Wealth Solutions, Fire Fighters FP Local 2753, the Forest Park Historical Society and Forest Park Bank.
“For the murals, we ask for a description or a sketch of what they are going to paint. We will have a lot of flowers and butterflies, as well as abstract designs. Sponsors will also paint their logos. We pick the color palette carefully because we want a cohesive design and durable paint that will last for five years,” Rozmus said.
The walkway on the bridge is 2 ½ feet high, divided into 10-foot spaces and there are 50 spaces on each side of the bridge, so both sides will be painted.
Commissioner Maria Maxham, reflecting on her family’s past participation, described Brushes on the Bridge as one of the best experiences they’ve had in Forest Park.
The Public Works picked up the kits they are making and bring them to the bridge with tables and chairs.
In the past seven years, the Art Alliance of Forest Park began their journey with the initiative of painting the bridge and with about 15 dedicated volunteers, they created a paint kit and managed check-in tables, fostering camaraderie. As they formalized the organization and gained 501(c)(3) status, membership grew from 30 to 150 people.
Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, they adapted by organizing small events on Madison Street and introduced diverse programming like Stoop Sessions and Tellers Nights, enriching community culture.
To learn more about the Arts Alliance Forest Park, further information can be found at forestparkarts.org.