Andersonville Unveils New Mural by Artist Molly Costello

Residents and visitors of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood are enjoying a colorful new mural by Chicago artist Molly Costello, which celebrates the diverse lives that overlap on the bustling streets of the community. The large-scale installation titled “Life at the Intersections” graces the south wall of The Clark at 5346 N. Clark Street. Costello interviewed 77 local residents and business owners as inspiration for the piece, which also includes highlights of the neighborhood’s LGBTQIA+ and activist legacies, in hopes of inspiring reflection on alternative community safety, wellness, mutual support and care.

The mural was funded by the Chicago Association of Realtors®, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and SSA #22. A formal dedication of the mural is planned for Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 9 am at US Bank, 5340 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

Artist Molly Costello comments, “‘Life at the Intersections’ pushes us to imagine a safer, more inclusive future that honors the intersections of our identities and helps us generate a future of collective wellness, environmental stewardship, abundance and play.”

Costello adds, “A deep thank you to those individuals who shared their lived experiences of working and residing in Andersonville. Their honesty about the area and hopes for the future were poured into these visuals. I hope I was able to reflect their stories and desires through this image. Much gratitude to the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce for the enthusiastic and logistical support as well as Rae Wilson and Nell Seggerson for spending many hours in the sun painting with me!”

Visitors are encouraged to share photos on social media, using @mollycostello (Instagram) and #alwaysandersonville.

About Molly Costello

Molly Costello (they/them or she/her) is a queer illustrator, food grower, bee keeper and seed saver living in Rogers Park. Through their art practice they explore themes of interconnectedness, cosmology, biomimicry and social transformation. Molly hopes that through the making and sharing of their artwork they can play a small role in the deep work of reimaging and reshaping our culture out of patterns of supremacy, violence and greed toward a culture of accountability, collective wellness and abundance. mollycostello.com.

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce fosters a vibrant environment in which Andersonville businesses can thrive by attracting a diverse customer base; providing business support services and advocacy; and engaging in business attraction, long-range planning, and economic development.