A new sculpture walk connecting the Jefferson Park and Portage Park business districts will be officially unveiled this Saturday, featuring a 2-mile route along Milwaukee Avenue. The walkway stretches from the Six Corners shopping area to just past the intersection of Milwaukee and Foster avenues, showcasing 10 sculptures, five of which are newly installed pieces.
The project, spearheaded by Arts Alive Chicago, received funding through a $300,000 capital improvement grant sponsored by state Senator Robert Martwick. "Public art transforms neighborhoods, sparks conversation and brings people together," Martwick said in a news release. "The NW Art Trail isn't just a celebration of art – it's a celebration of our community and the people who make it vibrant."
The dedication ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Parkway Bank, located at 4858 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Guided tours of the sculpture walk are scheduled for noon and 2 p.m., with art exhibits displayed along the route. Senator Martwick is actively seeking volunteers to assist during the dedication ceremony, and interested individuals can contact elizabeth@senatormartwick.com.
Arts Alive President Cyd Smillie explained that approximately a dozen custom-made trail markers will be installed on buildings between sculptures to help with navigation along the walk. These markers were created by Indiana-based artists Clare Backer Bies and Romy Kissel. Local businesses along the corridor will provide pamphlets containing detailed information about the sculptures and the artists involved.
A dedicated website featuring a map of the trail and information about nearby murals and arts-related organizations has been created specifically for this project. Each sculpture includes a brass plaque with details about the piece and its artist. The plaques on the new sculptures will also feature braille translations to improve accessibility. Additionally, audio descriptions of the sculptures and information about surrounding local businesses are being uploaded to the Otocast app.
The planning for this sculpture walk on the Far Northwest Side has been years in the making, dating back to when former 45th Ward Alderman John Arena was in office, according to Martwick. Funding became available after Governor JB Pritzker signed a $45 billion capital plan in 2019. When Martwick approached Arts Alive last year about the sculpture walk concept, Smillie contacted Eric Craig, a Jefferson Park-based photographer who has worked with the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit for nearly two decades. Craig played a crucial role in helping Arts Alive locate artists and sculptures for the project.
Smillie expressed pride in the diverse array of artists and art styles they were able to represent in the collection. Some sculptures feature abstract designs, such as Schencheng Xu's colorful "Northbound," a painted-steel piece depicting geese during their annual migration. Other works, like the existing bronze Thomas Jefferson statue, showcase more traditional artistic styles. The "Essence of Nature" sculpture by Janet Austin is positioned at 4630 N. Milwaukee Avenue, while "Volga" at 5266 N. Milwaukee Avenue features a neon star that was salvaged from the old Red Star Inn restaurant in 2015.
Martwick previously stated that the primary goal of the sculpture walk is to attract more visitors to local businesses while highlighting arts organizations in the area. These include the Filament Theatre, Gift Theatre, the historic Portage Theater, Copernicus Center, Paschke Art Center, and the National Veterans Art Museum. The sculpture walk also serves as an educational tool about neighborhood history, as many pieces carry historical significance. For example, the Jefferson Park War Memorial at 5411 W. Higgins Avenue marks the location where many soldiers enlisted during World War II.
Smillie emphasized that the sculpture walk represents an important step toward making art more accessible to the community. "As we continue to cut funding for arts education in schools, this is one way we can expose kids to art, is by getting it out on the street," she said. The project aims to create a lasting cultural corridor that will benefit both residents and visitors while supporting local businesses and arts organizations throughout the Jefferson Park and Portage Park neighborhoods.
