Located in Chicago’s 47th Ward, the Ravenswood neighborhood’s historic Industrial Corridor is a unique hub of creativity and craftsmanship. It is home to artist studios, trade schools, manufacturers, brewers, and makers of all kinds. The Metra Station at Lawrence and Ravenswood avenues serves as a gateway to this community and the entrance to the annual Ravenswood ArtWalk. It’s also the start of the Ravenswood Sculpture Garden, one of Chicago’s newest public art destinations. Now, it’s also home to Ravenswood Walls of Togetherness, a mural by acclaimed local artist Mac Blackout.
Part of a years-long placemaking initiative, in 2023 the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin, and Special Service Area 31 committed to funding a new mural at this vital intersection. This project presented an exciting chance to create a signature work of art for one of our neighborhood’s busiest locales.
Project Details
In May of 2024, the Ravenswood Community Council, in partnership with GRCC and Alderman Martin, issued a Request for Qualifications from local artists. The primary goal of this project was to enhance the connection between local artists and makers, and their residential neighbors. In terms of design, we challenged artists to reflect Ravenswood’s creative character. Nearly 40 artists applied, with 3 selected to develop full-proposals by the project steering committee.
After that, we put mural concepts by these finalists to a community vote and over 1,000 neighbors responded! Once we tallied the votes, Chicago-based artist Mac Blackout emerged as the winner. Work began in October of 2024 and included a Student Mural Workshop. As a part of the project, RCC invited 5 students from Amundsen High School to participate in a hands-on workshop that included installation of artwork on the northern viaduct wall. Mac Blackout completed the mural over the following weeks, with a ribbon cutting celebration on November 1, 2024.
Sponsors: Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin, Special Service Area 31, Ravenswood Community Council, Union Pacific Railroad
Team: Mac Blackout
Student Artists: Izabel Dawod, Loi Kieu, Jay Mina, Georgie Pooler, Mollie Pooler
Steering Committee: Gene Wagendorf III (GRCC/RCC), Omotola Akinbiyi (SSA 31), Elizabeth Hayes (RCC), Andi Mints Gilreath (SSA 31), Charlotte Rubrich (47th Ward Youth Council)
About the Artist
Mac Blackout (born Mark Dunihue McKenzie on June 17, 1977) is an American visual artist and musician based in Chicago. The founding member of The Functional Blackouts, Daily Void, Mickey, New Rose Alliance, and Armageddon Experimental Band, he’s also known as a prolific solo recording artist. His projects have been released by Sacred Bones, HoZac, FDH, Pelican Pow Wow, Trouble In Mind, and many other prominent independent record labels (see discography). These genre defying recordings range from experimental improvisations to lo fi punk and glam anthems.
Mac was born in Bedford, Indiana, later attending college at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana where he graduated with a BFA in 1999. During his high school and college years he became a well known street artist in the midwest underground. In 1999 he moved to Chicago, Illinois channeling his creative energies into music and the music related art of posters and album covers. From 2000 to present day he has formed several bands releasing more than 10 full length albums as well as a slew of singles. He continues to create music with the avant garde multimedia project, Armageddon Experimental Band and recently released “Love Profess”, his first solo album in seven years on Trouble In Mind Records. Mac is currently a muralist and multimedia artist creating large scale public works with a studio focus in painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media art. Learn more at www.macblackout.com.
