Courtesy of Chicago

Some call it The Windy City, others call it ChiTown, but I call it Home. I was born and raised in Northern Chicago on a street called Parkside. When I was seven years old, my family moved to Romeoville, a suburb of Chicago about an hour away. Still, my heart belonged to the city. As destiny would have it, I find myself back Home.

Due to a series of traumatic events, my childhood on Parkside is a blur except for the faint memories that pictures evoke. I do not remember who I was, what I used to be like. I feel that “the old me” stayed in the three-story apartment in which I grew up in, and now I have a bright future at DePaul University. Essentially, I feel that Chicago has a part of me, a part of my story, a part of my life — in both past and future. With that being said, discovering Lincoln Park and its surrounding neighborhoods symbolizes my self-discovery for the past and the future entwine to create the present.

Aside from learning about myself, I also learned to look past my preconceived notions about the people that inhabit the misunderstood streets of Chicago. I was aware that there is more to the people of the Second City prior to walking down the same streets on which blood has been shed, but walking down those streets myself allowed me to experience Chicago from my own perspective, not from the mass media’s perspective.

Although I did not make direct contact with the people, I did bear witness to the communities’ collective thoughts, feelings, and opinions. There was no necessity to speak to residents because the public art spoke for the people; art is a reflection of the artist. I saw more than violence, ignorance, and vulnerability. I saw beauty, expression, perspectives, creativity, and stories.

Analysis of stairs: When walking down these stairs, one only perceives the art displayed on the sidelines and the rest of the stairs appear to be an ugly, bland color. On the other hand, walking up the stairs allows one to see more than what is simply made visible. It is much the same with the media; people only see the part of Chicago that is shown on the news until they walk down the streets themselves and go beyond the surface. Only by walking does one truly become acquainted with a place.

Public art is an important element of communities because it brings people together, lets people know that they are not alone, tells stories, adds culture, allows expression, gives identity, and forces those who see it to confront the issue(s) at hand.