Upon approaching, the first words she saw were "Nazi Germany." Then, "why they were crucified." The mural shows the faces of people who have been persecuted throughout history, like Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Gandhi and Anne Frank. Kohler was immediately drawn to it because of its "universal appeal," she says. In the mural, the window of the church shows four figures whose hands are intertwined, presenting different human races and showing harmony, peace and hope. Above the human figures, symbols of the world's major religions rest. Representations of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, amongst others, are seen on the mural. Doves circle around the various symbols.
After noticing the church was surrounded by signs reading "For Sale" and those of a wrecking company, Kohler wanted to take action. "I realized we had to save it from the wrecking ball," she says. She contacted Jon Pounds, Executive Director for the Chicago Public Art Group, and together they formed the "All of Mankind Coalition" to build support for the mural. Members of the coalition hope to come to an agreement with the city, either by preserving the church itself, which Kohler says is also historically significant, or by keeping the mural intact and moving it to another location.
Meetings are still in progress with city officials, but the situation draws questions about the conservation of public artworks in Chicago. For the Coalition, their attempt to preserve this piece of art - one of the last murals by William Walker still in existence - commands attention from city officials. But, according to the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the condition of the particular piece does not call for mandatory action. According to the department Web site, funds for preserving artwork are first distributed for pieces that have endured serious damage, followed by works that have endured minor damage and lastly works that are at risk of degradation.
That's why the future of public art in Chicago is unknown. Community groups, like the All of Mankind Coalition, are increasingly becoming more common in neighborhoods where residents are willing to organize in hopes of maintaining the pieces of art that surround them. Groups like the Humboldt Park Mural Restoration Program and the Hubbard Street Mural Project are popping up in Chicago communities, taking the task of maintaining public art into their own hands. And although the city controls the majority of restoration funds and demand outweighs supply, Castillo, at least, isn't worried about losing public art in the future. "I don't think it's ever going to go away," he says. "It's so embedded in the culture of Chicago."
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