New Coloring Book Highlights Iconic Morgan Park Locales

CHICAGO — A newly available coloring book features a dozen of the most recognizable places in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the South Side. "Color Me Morgan Park" is the latest effort from the collaboration of neighborhood artist Judie Anderson and neighborhood historian Carol Flynn.

Like the "Color Me Beverly" book released around this time last year, the book includes Anderson's illustrations of the most recognizable neighborhood locales and a written, historical description of them provided by Flynn.

"We've had a lot of fun with it and enjoy working together," Anderson said.

"Our styles compliment each other well," Flynn added.

In the book you'll find well-known neighborhood gathering centers like the Beverly Arts Center and County Fair Foods. Historic places like the Paul Harris House, Ingersolll-Blackwelder House and Morgan Park Academy's Alumni Hall. And the South Side Irish Parade makes an appearance in the book with an illustration of the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band when marching in front of the Open Outcry Brewing Company.

Coloring the pages is a fun and relaxing activity for children and adults and the book itself is a good gift for Christmas stockings, Flynn and Anderson said. They've already received orders from several former Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood residents who live in other parts of the country now and want to reminisce about the neighborhood.

Other pages are dedicated to the 111th Street Station, Morgan Park Sports Center, Walker Branch Library, Smith Village, Sacred Heart Church and Mt. Greenwood and Mt. Olivet cemeteries.

The book costs $10 and is available only locally at Bookie's, Turkey and Heritage Gallery. Copies can also be mailed or dropped off by Flynn by emailing cflynn2013@yahoo.com. They'll be at three upcoming local market events: Harvest Fest at Open Outcry, The Beverly Area Arts Alliance's The Uprising and Christkindlmarket at Olivia's Garden.

Flynn and Anderson also have copies of "Beverly II" available. This coloring book is a slight revision the original "Color Me Beverly." This version includes only Beverly neighborhood locations north of 107th Street, which is the generally accepted borderline between Beverly and Morgan Park.

The pair likely aren't done working on coloring books together either. Both have mentioned the possibility of doing a version on neighborhood buildings that have been torn down. They could also do a book on nearby places like Mount Greenwood or Blue Island.

"It's really limitless what we could do," Flynn said.