In 2016, CPAG artists Rahmaan Statik and Max Sansing together with Elizabeth Rayes, Lisa Han, Delilah Salgado, Miguel A. Del Real, Epifanio Monarrez, and Bobby Price completed an ambitious mural project on two BNSF Railway underpasses at 2225 Central Park Avenue and 2200 S. Trumbull Avenue. The two murals, together named Sepia for their rich tones, celebrate the spirit of Little Village and North Lawndale through portraits of community leaders from both neighborhoods. Commissioned by 22nd ward Alderman Ricardo Muñoz and managed by Chicago Public Art Group, the murals were developed to celebrate each neighborhood’s spirit, diversity and history, while promoting their unity.
Alderman Muñoz and community leaders wanted the viaducts to represent a bridge to each community, Little Village, a primarily Hispanic neighborhood, and North Lawndale, an African-American neighborhood. It also provided a space for artists from both communities to create art that celebrated each neighborhood’s spirit and diversity. One side of the walls presents tapestries with patterns from different regions of Mexico and Mexican- American experiences of living in Chicago. The other side introduces Adinkra symbols from West Africa with conceptual meanings such as “unity” and “strength.” Another theme highlights the experiences of community elders.
