Chicago Sun-Times: Gage Park parking lot, once plain, now a colorful gallery of mural

A few months ago, the parking lot at 55th Street and Fairfield Avenue in Gage Park was pretty barren.

Now, it features a five-panel spread of murals that aim to bring some beauty to the Southwest Side neighborhood, celebrate the community’s largely Latino heritage and provide an outlet for young artists.

The Gage Park Latinx Council, founded in 2018, started the Gage Park Mural Project last August. Beside providing art, the idea was to “give the youth an opportunity to learn skills and create works of art in Gage Park,” says Antonio Santos, 30, the group’s co-founder and executive director.

This mural by Mario Mena — head of the Gage Park Mural Project — includes flowers, a butterfly and the welcoming words “Bienvenidos a Gage Park.”

Santos calls the resulting mix of art and activism “artivism.”

So far, artists ranging from 15 to 24 years old have created six murals. At least four more are planned by the end of the year.

The largest piece in the parking lot gallery is a towering panel bearing the welcoming message: “Bienvenidos a Gage Park” in pink, purple and turquoise.