Chicago Murals Speak Volumes

Street art has been around for decades and some of Chicago's murals and sticker decals (e.g. You are Beautiful) have become world-famous. I was pretty thrilled to see Chance the Rapper's Angels video inspired by Hebru Brantley's famous mural, Fly-boy, located on Wabash in the South Loop; the combination of these two artists seems so Chicago and Chance literally flies to new heights!

As part of the Manifest Urban Arts Festival in May, Columbia College unveiled new murals at the Wabash Arts Corridor Big Walls, created by over a dozen artists from around the world. According to Time Out Chicago, Chicago’s South Loop will have the densest area of public art in the United States (40,000 feet). Chicago Public Library has some great collections featuring some of these works, such as Street Art and The World Atlas of Street Photography.

It might not surprise you to know that there are plenty of YA books about graffiti artists. If you're into street art, you might enjoy Graffiti Moon, featuring the search for a mysterious graffiti artist named Shadow; Subway Love, in which graffiti art connects time-traveling teens Jonas and Laura in the New York subway; and most recently, Shadowshaper, which exposes the supernatural spirits hidden within Brooklyn's murals.


Don't forget to share your favorite murals in our Teen Chicago Travel Guide, opens a new window or on social media with #cplteens. Which ones are your favorites, where are they and what do they represent to you?