Introduction to Chicago Murals
When Tammy Rutledge took over as head of Chicago’s specialty public health clinics in 2022, she realized immediately they needed a vibe shift.
In Lake View, hard plastic chairs hadn’t been replaced in at least 25 years. Old, haunting posters about sexually transmitted infections hung from tape on the hallway walls. Piles of condoms, dental dams and other prophylactics rested on a rickety cart.
“I called it the hallway of gloom,” Rutledge says.
The Transformation
Artist Max Sansing created this mural at the Roseland East 115th Street Health Hub.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
The situation at the Roseland clinic wasn’t much better, she says.
So Rutledge ripped down posters, replaced furniture and renamed the offices from STI Specialty Clinics to Lakeview North Clark Street Health Clinic and Roseland East 115th Street Health Hub. The Roseland location also offers mental health and immunization services.
Along with that rebranding, Rutledge worked with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Arts and Special Events to commission murals for the front facade and inside walls at both clinics.
The Impact of the Murals
Now, “what I see in both of our spaces is, the clients seem a lot more relaxed. We haven’t had those altercations we used to have sometimes, with people being all uptight and loud. They come in, we have magazines, they’re sitting down, they look at the art and say, ‘Oh, this is really nice,” Rutledge says. “They sit on the sofas, and you can tell the temperament is very, very different.”
Artist Caesar Perez of Pilsen created the Lake View murals, while Max Sansing of Woodlawn crafted the murals in Roseland.
In Lake View, the inside walls feature brilliantly colored flowers, herbs, medicinal plants, bees, dragonflies and a field mouse with a heart-shaped nose.
Lake View Murals
Artist Caesar Perez of Pilsen stands next to one of his murals in the main hallway of the Lakeview North Clark Street Health Clinic.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The bright imagery stretches floor-to-ceiling, with phrases describing what the traditional medicinal plant is and how it is used. Those include “ ‘Alfalfa’ Medicago Sativa/Help Lower Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Management” and “ ‘Jacobs Ladder’ Palemonium Caeruleum/Helps Wounds Heal Faster,” for example.
Perez often uses elements of nature in his work, so the medicinal plants were a natural inclusion.
Roseland Murals
For his mural, both inside and out, he included a spectrum of the colored roses that earned the neighborhood its name. He also added the field house from nearby Palmer Park and a window from Roseland’s Greater Tabernacle Cathedral, a Chicago landmark and the place where former President Barack Obama served as executive director of the nonprofit Developing Communities Project.
Faces resembling those from the neighborhood and others that Sansing knows gaze out from the front facade.
Sansing also included images of a key, which often can be found in his artwork: “A lot of my work deals with coming to a crossroads in your life and deciding which door to unlock to go forward,” Sansing says.
The key has a personal meaning as well. It’s Sansing’s father’s CTA key from his time working as an L train engineer when Sansing was a kid. After his dad died, Sansing kept that key.
“I wanted something to calm the anxieties. This is a place where we’re finding out what’s going on with you, but also people can help and understand your circumstances. There’s people who are familiar with whatever’s going on with you there. I think that’s needed, especially in communities like Roseland.”
Conclusion
The murals have brought a new vibe to the clinics, making them feel more welcoming and relaxed. The artwork has also helped to reduce altercations and create a more positive atmosphere. The use of natural elements and personal symbols has made the murals unique and meaningful to the communities they serve.
FAQs
Q: What inspired the creation of the murals in the Chicago clinics?
A: The murals were created as part of a rebranding effort to make the clinics feel more welcoming and relaxed.
Q: Who created the murals in Lake View and Roseland?
A: Caesar Perez of Pilsen created the Lake View murals, while Max Sansing of Woodlawn crafted the murals in Roseland.
Q: What is the significance of the key in Sansing’s artwork?
A: The key represents coming to a crossroads in life and deciding which door to unlock to go forward. It also has a personal meaning for Sans
