Artists create new mini murals in Oak Park 

Public transit lovers, drivers and pedestrians alike who have long admired the results of the local mini-mural program that decorates the railroad retaining walls along the Chicago Transit Authority Green Line now can spot some new pieces. 

Joey Depakakibo, a Berwyn resident and artist for as long as he can remember, just finished his mini mural located on South Boulevard outside the CTA Green Line stop at Ridgeland Avenue.  

Sara Jaworski, an Oak Park resident and nurse at RUSH Oak Park Hospital, is finalizing details of her mural on South Boulevard east of Scoville Avenue. 

According to Camille Wilson White, executive director of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, these are just two of 23 mini murals approved for 2024. The murals, which range in size from about 6 feet by 8 feet to 6 feet by 11 feet, enhance the railroad retaining walls all over town.  

“That was the plan,” she said. “To turn something very unattractive into something really beautiful and we have done that over the years.” 

How the program works 

The mini-mural program was created in 2010 to “promote creative expression and provide an enriching visual experience for residents and visitors alike,” according to the Oak Park Area Arts Council website.  

The Green Line wall near Oak Park Avenue is almost complete with mini murals, Wilson White said, and that’s the goal. But not every “frame” along the railroad walls is suitable to be painted due to damage or leaks.  

Around February of each year, Wilson White said a call will go out, online, through social media and through village channels, for new artists to make their mark on Oak Park. Another round of applications will be accepted about six weeks later, she said, for artists that missed the deadline. 

Artists and experts in the area are invited to serve on a panel to judge the applications. The number of designs chosen each year varies, but this year it’s 23. Once selected, the artist will enter into a contract with the village. 

“You will see so many different artistic interpretations of what they felt would be fabulous for that wall of mini murals,” Wilson White said.  

The artist receives $1,500 total for the mural. The first $750 is doled out for supplies, the additional $750 handed over after the work is complete.  

“It’s not that much money, according to today’s standards, as far as artists who paint murals,” Wilson White said. “Artists are trying to make a living these days. The pandemic hasn’t been kind to any of us, and especially the arts community.” 

The chosen artists are also expected to use certain materials to make their mural long-lasting, including an ultraviolet protectant sealant. Artists must be 18 or older and the work cannot be salacious. It also cannot have any advertisements or political statements, including the artist’s own social media handles, which could make it difficult for artists to get more exposure.  

The timeline for completing a mural, however, varies from artist to artist, Wilson White said. On average, it takes anywhere from four to six weeks, she said. But one artist finished his in a singular day, she recalled. Extensions are granted when needed, but Wilson White said she does like for them to be finished around Labor Day before the weather changes.  

Wilson White said the Oak Park Area Arts Council receives funding from the village to keep the program alive. 

“Go out, enjoy the art,” Wilson White said. “It’s a great time to see it.” 

New artwork 

Depakakibo said he did his first mural in San Fransisco at his sister’s coffee shop, Pinhole Coffee. As a Berwyn resident, he often visits Oak Park, and has noticed and appreciated the murals near Oak Park Avenue. He’s missed the deadlines in years past, but this year was able to apply and was chosen to complete a mural.  

“He’s just amazing,” Wilson White said. “[His artwork] is whimsical, it’s different and it just pops.” 

His piece is called 1985. As a Generation X individual, Depakakibo said he appreciates and is inspired by 1980s and 1990s nostalgia and tried to capture that time in his piece – by incorporating vibrant colors, technology and fashion. He’s also been influenced by comic books, he said.  

It took him about three weeks to finish this mural, he said, balancing the work with caring for his kids who are on summer break. He used spray paint and latex paint to create his piece.  

“I’m detailed and I’m a perfectionist,” Depakakibo said. “I was lucky to be picked.” 

The location of the mural, outside the Green Line Ridgeland stop, is a high-traffic area and located near a main intersection. Depakakibo said he’s grateful for that and has talked to many residents passing by about his piece, including kids.  

“That’s my goal,” he said. “To inspire the younger generation to keep creating, and be creative, especially in this day and age where everyone’s on their phones or their iPads or TVs.” 

Some of Depakakibo’s other work can be found on Instagram at @joeyd76.  

Jaworski, a single mom with two kids, also said she loves the community aspect of the mural painting, especially talking to the young kids who like to watch her paint. It’s her first time doing a mural and a painting on this scale, she said. And it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. 

She said she’s had to redo parts of her mural, which showcases an octopus interacting with plastic and trash in the ocean, about four times. That’s because heavy rainfall and a lack of enough protective spray on top of her acrylic paint melted parts of the mural. She started her mural in early June, and she’s nearly done.  

“I’m kind of a perfectionist,” she said. “It’s been a really great experience despite the frustrations of the weather.” 

Jaworski said she’s passionate about saving the ocean and drew inspiration from that for her mural. Instead of buying gifts for each other on Christmas, she said her family pools money and takes turns choosing where to donate it. Jaworski said that twice she’s chosen Ocean Defenders Alliance, an organization working to clean and protect marine ecosystems.   

“There’s just so much plastic and pollution [in the ocean],” she said. “If our oceans die, we die.” 

Jaworski also said she chose to paint an octopus because of their intelligence. Nowadays, she said people are learning more about sea creatures, their intelligence, and the pain they can feel. 

“Oak Park is already a beautiful village, but [public art] offers extra beauty,” she said. “We need art in our lives. It’s important.” 

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