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Stories of two new works of public art on Noyes Street

Stories of two new works of public art on Noyes Street

The underside of the new ‘Above & Below’ sculpture on Noyes Street. Loan: gay Riseborough

Six years ago, in 2018, the owner of the building at 824-828 Noyes St. (Stacked & Folded is located on the first floor, with residential tenants upstairs) donated $10,000 to the city of Evanston for so-called “neighborhood benefits.” That owner, Greg De Stefano, previously spoke with the Evanston Arts Council’s Public Art Subcommittee about his hope to use the money for public art.

Now, in September 2024, there are two new public art in this block of Noyes. One is a sculpture that has been “planned” for six to seven years, the other is a large mural that preceded the sculpture by two months, surprising many – if not most – of the community. Their backgrounds are interconnected.

CTA Garage at 837 Noyes St. Loan: gay Riseborough

De Stefano’s first wish was to beautify the view across the street with a pleasant mural at the “painful” CTA substation at 837 Noyes. In 2019, the Chicago Public Art Group (CPAG) was contacted about creating a painted mural for the unattractive facade.

But CTA said no, they don’t want to his building was painted.

Sculpture

Therefore, a public art group proposed and designed colorful acrylic a mural that would sit about an inch from the surface of the CTA building, attached to it with nearly invisible fasteners. The roller garage door would still need painting.

But CTA responded that no, it didn’t want anything attached to its substation.

Well, maybe something could be done to improve the appearance of the old CTA station entrance located under the tracks. But this is CTA’s property too, so he’ll definitely say no. Maybe something at the Noyes Center for Culture and Art?

Judy Fiske, then council member of the First Ward (which includes the Noyes Center), liked the idea, expressing interest in having some sort of visual acknowledgment of Daniel Burnham, the noted architect of the Noyes Building of 1892. Perhaps some type of plaque.