Kirjahaku

Since 1991 the city of Joliet, Illinois, has commissioned painters for a series of public murals. Free to use their own styles and follow their particular visions, the artists gave Joliet a diverse and dramatic body of public art that is also a statement of civic pride and a revival of a venerable midwestern tradition. Arrayed with color plates of the murals and accompanied by biographical sketches of the artists, this impressive volume documents the rich ethnic, racial, and cultural heritage that informs the art. An old industrial city thirty-five miles south of Chicago, Joliet has a mixed ethnic population. The murals of Joliet reflect this diversity, featuring the experiences of African Americans, Mexican Americans, Italian Americans, German and Irish immigrants, and the city's Slovenian community. Bold, colorful pieces acknowledge industrial and natural resources, including the Illinois and Michigan Canal, the Des Plaines River, the region's limestone quarries, and the Sauk trail. They pay tribute to the area's farmers as well as to individuals such as labor leader Samuel Gompers and the dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham. Above all, Murals: The Great Walls of Joliet documents the profound transformation in the local mentality wrought by the development of public art in the city. Underwritten by a community group, Friends of Community Public Art, the Joliet murals project stands as a model for modern municipal patronage, evidence of a population's decision to invest in public art to enrich its environment and express the ideals of the whole community.

From the sumptuous lakeshore to the inner city, these images capture the light, color, and mood of our public spaces throughout the changing seasons. Frederick Law Olmsted's and Jens Jensen's vision of a 'garden in a city' is reflected within the pages of this book. The images at once subtly incorporate and contrast the natural landscape within the urban landscape. The Prairie-style architecture that is found in many of Chicago's parks is both a reflection of the natural prairie and a reminder of the concrete urban landscape within which the parks are located. These full-color photographs of Chicago's well-known and lesser-visited parks make a perfect gift for those who enjoy outdoor spaces or gardens, or for those who fondly remember the parks of their Chicago youth. The totality of these images is an eloquent visual portrait of the origins of our bold and proud city from the vast wilderness of the mid-western prairie. Frank Dina has brought about an impressive re-discovery and re-affirmation of these islands of peace, beauty, and tranquillity amidst the bustle and dynamism that is Chicago.

From the sumptuous lakeshore to the inner city, these images capture the light, color, and mood of our public spaces throughout the changing seasons. Frederick Law Olmsted's and Jens Jensen's vision of a 'garden in a city' is reflected within the pages of this book. The images at once subtly incorporate and contrast the natural landscape within the urban landscape. The Prairie-style architecture that is found in many of Chicago's parks is both a reflection of the natural prairie and a reminder of the concrete urban landscape within which the parks are located. These full-color photographs of Chicago's well-known and lesser-visited parks make a perfect gift for those who enjoy outdoor spaces or gardens, or for those who fondly remember the parks of their Chicago youth. The totality of these images is an eloquent visual portrait of the origins of our bold and proud city from the vast wilderness of the mid-western prairie. Frank Dina has brought about an impressive re-discovery and re-affirmation of these islands of peace, beauty, and tranquillity amidst the bustle and dynamism that is Chicago.