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The Elmhurst Art Museum presents the first solo museum exhibition of muralist Rafael Blanco, co-creator of Elmhurst’s own Be Bold. Be Elmhurst. mural and dozens of public artworks around the US. Inspired by themes of identity and human expression, Blanco’s work can be found in cities from California to Maryland, breathing new life into high-visibility, urban spaces. This exhibition will introduce the viewer to Blanco’s artistic journey and features large-scale new work transforming the museum’s galleries into its own urban landscape, filled with color, texture, and the serendipity of discovering public art in the wild. For this exhibition, Blanco resurrects previously rejected public art proposals, allowing the public to see them for the first time. Rafael Blanco: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art takes place at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue, from September 7, 2024 to January 5, 2025.
Born in Spain and based in Aurora, Illinois, Blanco’s work is deeply influenced by his immigrant experience and the beauty of embracing a new country while maintaining one’s own identity. He extends that idea in the galleries with a grid of nearly one hundred images contributed by area high school students. The collaboration is intended to encourage youth to embrace and be inspired by their own identities and cultures.
Blanco’s 200 by 250-foot mural declaring “Be Bold. Be Elmhurst.” is on the wall of Elmhurst University’s R.A. Fagnel Hall, facing north on Park Avenue west of Prospect Avenue. The first mural in the city of Elmhurst, Be Bold serves as both inspiration and call to action.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
A native of Alicante, Spain, Rafael Blanco is a visual artist fascinated with identity, human expression, and diversity and inclusion. Trained as a classical studio painter for more than fifteen years, Blanco had his first encounter with public art in 2014. Since then, he broke away from the studio and transitioned to the creation of site-specific, large-scale mural installations. Blanco has painted murals across the US from California to Maryland, and from Texas to Illinois – including in Elmhurst. He has participated in numerous street art festivals and mural competitions, and has produced commissioned work for cities like Roseville, California, Denver, Colorado, Rockford, Illinois, and Corpus Christi, Texas, among many others. Blanco attended Florida Southern College (2000-02) and graduated with a BA in Studio Arts from Saint Mary's College of California (2002-04). After receiving his MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nevada, Reno (2010-2013), he worked as a full-time university professor at Feather River College (2014-19) and Elmhurst University (2019-23), where he taught Drawing, Painting, Art History, etc.
Lately, Blanco has expanded his work to public speaking, where he has been advocating for the potential of public art while engaging younger audiences, including local high school and university students, as well as a participating as a guest speaker at TEDx Elmhurst University. Blanco currently lives in Aurora, Illinois with his family.
ABOUT THE ELMHURST ART MUSEUM
The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.
The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for adults (ages 18+), $15 for seniors, $10 for students, and $5 for children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.
Image: Be Bold, Elmhurst, IL. 2022. Rafael Blanco & Andrew Sobol. Photo by Rafael Blanco