Artistic beauty is ablaze in Greektown Chicago this summer, with the neighborhood’s new outdoor and indoor public art exhibit We the People: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Beauty in Greektown Chicago now open through May 2027.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and with inspiration from the Statue of Liberty and the ideas of ancient Greek thinkers, the creatively painted artworks in Greektown Chicago’s We the People exhibit feature a golden flaming torch and a scroll representing the Declaration.
A total of 40 original artworks are now on display throughout the Greektown neighborhood, including 20 outdoor painted sculptures along South Halsted Street from Madison Street to Van Buren Street, and 20 similarly-themed paintings on canvases displayed inside and in the windows of Greektown businesses throughout the community. The original sculpture was created by Eve Moran, who leads the Greektown Arts Committee for Greektown SSA #16.
“The Declaration of Independence, particularly in its second sentence, gave our nation and the world a beautiful light of hope and promise that still inspires today,” says Greektown SSA #16 Commission Chair Eve Moran. “Artists are creatively engaging with this theme to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary while also showing that artistic beauty—along with natural and moral beauty—is a way to bring happiness into our lives. We hope this year-long exhibit in Greektown encourages everyone to come out to enjoy the beautiful outdoor and indoor artworks, have a conversation over a delicious dinner or refreshing drink in our neighborhood, and be joyfully inspired.”
The 27 professional and emerging artists featured in this year’s Greektown art exhibition include sculpture artists Arturo Barrera, Bonnie Loboda, Victoria Martin, James Mesplé, Katie Meuser, Mark Nelson, Elena Pach, Terry Poulos, Alyssa M. Ramirez and Alex Cardoso, Fernando Ramirez and Kiki Whitehead; and canvas artists Annabelle Broeffle, Juan A. Cano, Angelina Genova, Debra Hand, Robyn Jablonski, Malika Jackson, Beatriz E. Ledesma, Max Li, Molly McGrath, Patricia Owsiany, Susan Stevens, Pam Stola, Diane Thodos, Chuck Walker, Maureen Warren, Rebecca Zaragoza and students at Holy Trinity High School.
The We the People art exhibit is sponsored by Greektown SSA #16, the neighborhood’s business improvement district, and created by the Greektown Arts Committee with production assistance from the Chicago Greektown Educational Foundation. Through this association,13 Chicagoland Greek schools are participating in decorating the outdoor sculptures or painting artworks on canvas: Plato Academy, Guardian Angel Orthodox Day School, St. Nectarios Greek School, Holy Cross Sophocles Greek School, St. George Greek School, Hellenic American Academy, St. Demetrios Pythagoras Greek School, St. Demetrios Solon Greek School, Koraes Elementary School, Holy Apostles Hellenic Academy, Aristotle School of Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church, Plutarchos Hellenic Language & Heritage Academy, and St. John the Baptist Pythagoras Greek School.
For updates on the We the People art exhibit, visit GreektownChicago.org and follow Greektown on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Artist Bios and Artwork Locations
Sculptural works (professional and emerging artists):
“American Fabric” by Arturo Barrera
Location: Walgreen’s, 111 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Arturo Barrera is a retired educator from the Chicago Public School system. He served as an assistant school principal for four years and enjoyed 34 years in art education. Barrera has a B.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in Art Education; a M.F.A. from Northern Illinois University, in printmaking and painting; and, a M.A. in Education Administration from Governor State University. He currently provides standards-based instruction to students at The School of the Art Institute.
“America the Beautiful” by Bonnie Loboda
Location: Wild Fork, 100 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Bonnie Loboda began painting as a young child in her birthplace of Poland and soon learned to embroider fine and intricate linen pieces. Over the years, Loboda has stretched her imagination, taught herself many new techniques and played with different materials. Today, she creates on glass, canvas, wood, walls and frequently works well into the night to grow her art.
“NEW Constellation” by Victoria Martin
Location: Spavia, 773 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Victoria Martin is a large-scale mystical painter. She combines symbols from new science with illustrations of ancient magical texts. She also teaches art as a spiritual praxis at workshops and other events. Martin holds a BA in Art Education and a MFA in Performance from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago. Her ancestor, a Quaker named William Hughes, fought in the Revolutionary War.
“Beacons of Liberty” by James Mesplé
Location: Temple at Elysian Field, 401 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
James Mesplé has exhibited his “classically surreal “paintings in local, national, and international shows. His work focuses on spiritual, visionary, mythological, and historical subject matter as a generative source for contemporary art. Mesple has taught art at many notable institutions including Francis W. Parker school and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“American Bouquet” by Katie Meuser
Location: Moka & Co, 239 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Katie Meuser is an abstract expressionist painter based in Chicago. She works predominantly with watercolor, acrylic, and oil pastels to make large-scale non-objective abstracts and florals with fun and unconventional color combinations. Meuser’s largest works are murals created for commercial spaces such as the Capital One Cafe on Southport Avenue and 71 South Wacker Drive, in Chicago. Most recently, she traveled to Romania for an artist residency and was accepted into ELSE!, an artist residency in Bavaria, Germany at the end of 2026.
“Hearts of Cyrene” by Mark Nelson
Location: AT&T Store, 15 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Mark Nelson was raised in a Navy family overseas, and began his formal arts education in the Republic of Panama where he was mentored in painting and live theater. Back in the U.S., Nelson studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a BFA and received a MFA at the University of Illinois in Chicago. His artworks are found in private and public collections, including a mural at the US Embassy, Republic of Panama.
“Live in Harmony and Peace” by Elena Pach
Location: Arkadia West Loop, 765 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Elena Pach is a Ukrainian-born artist living and working in Chicago. She grew up in family of artists and lived in a multi-unit building in Kyiv where nearly all of her neighbors were painters, ceramicists, or art critics. (This led her to believe the world only consisted of artists). Pach graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture and, in 1994, moved to the United States. Her work is inspired by mythology, Ukrainian folklore, ornament, a “mental archive” and elements of popular culture. Pach’s art has shown in many exhibitions and she is Board member, Art Committee, of the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) in Chicago.
“American Ingenuity” by Terry Poulos
Location: The Van Buren, 808 W. Van Buren Street, Chicago
Terry Poulos is a writer, artist, archaeological historian, fractal geometer, and more generally, autodidact scientific investigator. Two of his sculptures have been exhibited at the National Hellenic Museum (NHM), and his Net Zero Coin numismatic is in the permanent collection of the British Museum and NHM. His works can be seen at Scientiquity.com
“The Flame Between Generations” by Alyssa M. Ramirez & Alex Cardoso
Location: Dugan’s, 128 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Alyssa Ramirez and Alex Cardoso are a married couple who were each born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Loving parents to two artistically-gifted children, they proudly work in service to the community as Chicago Police Officers. Alejandra (Alex) Cardoso is a barber, certified wellness coach, counselor, and a mixed-media long-time artist who enjoys creating custom pieces through wood burning, painting, drawing, glass etching, etc., and she is a former Mexican Folkloric dancer who plays el guiro (a percussion instrument). Alyssa M. Ramirez is a certified Reiki practitioner, certified wellness coach, former EMT, small business owner, graphic designer, a former baker, event planner, balloon stylist and singer.
“Liberation From Despotism” by Fernando Ramirez
Location: Rye Deli + Drink, 25 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Fernando Ramirez is an artist at “Project Onward,” a nonprofit studio and gallery in Chicago dedicated to supporting the career development of visual artists with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. Known for his beautiful depictions of everyday life, Ramirez is also most passionate in continuing his own world of creations based on fantasy, mythology, and pan-religious influences. Ramirez has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions and has been with Project Onward since its founding in 2004.
“Dimitri's Flogo” (Greek word for “flame”) by Kiki Whitehead
Location: Mariano’s Fresh Market, 40 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Kiki Whitehead is a first generation Greek American and, early in childhood, began to study charcoal drawing and oil painting. Today, she is the Marketing Director for Olympik Signs, Inc., and among other things, serves as the National Chairman of the non-partisan United Hellenic Voters of America (UHVA). A children’s book illustrator, Kiki’s art appears in “How Does My Mama Know?” and “Ollie Under It.”
Canvas artworks (professional and emerging artists):
“One Fire, Many Nations” by Annabelle Broeffle
Location: Dugan’s, 128 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Annabelle Broeffle is a Menominee and Ojibwe multimedia fine artist, based in Chicago. Her work—encompassing painting and photography—blends her rich cultural background into a contemporary outlook. In this artwork, she reimagines the torch of liberty through the lens of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace. Surrounding the torch are representations of the Six Nations, each maintaining its own identity while united in harmony, governance, and shared purpose. The central flame serves as a both a symbol of liberty and a sacred council fire, reflecting the enduring values of peace, unity and collective responsibility. Through indigenous symbolism, color, and references to the land and waters of Chicago, the work honors the many histories, cultures and ideals that continue to shape the American story.
“GOD BLESS AMERICA” by Juan A. Cano
Location: Mr. Greek Gyros, 234 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Juan A. Cano is a contemporary graffiti artist from the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. He is well-known for his “shattered glass” style. Cano participates in several art exhibitions each year, and is an art philanthropist to charitable causes. His latest mural was unveiled on May, 2025 at Bookman’s Alley in Evanston, Illinois.
“Hands of Light” by Angelina Genova
Location: The Van Buren, 808 W. Van Buren Street, Chicago
For Angelina Genova, art and dance are each important to her life. She is a second generation professional Belly Dancer, and trained by her mother (Dahlena) in classical, folkloric, flamenco fusion, as well as modern bellydance. Genova performed in the Chicago Lyric Opera’s production of Thais in 2002-2003 and also in Il Cosaro staged at The Opera Festival of Chicago in 2022. Her art practice is an endless conversation focused on an interest in people, beauty and the mystery of life.
“US/WE - The Preciousness of Liberty” by Debra Hand
Location: Greek Islands Restaurant, 200 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Debra Hand is a sculptor, painter, and writer. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, the DuSable Black History Museum, and also held in many private and corporate collections. Hand has written books for children and insightful essays on art and life, and she holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering from Northwestern University. Hand’s life-size bronze statue of the historic poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar, unveiled in 2018, is a mightily inspiring artwork to view at Dunbar Park (300 East 31st Street in Chicago).
“Fire: An Element of Transformation” by Robyn Jablonski
Location: Spavia, 773 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Robyn Jablonski is a Chicago-based artist and arts professional. She works across and through painting, drawing, mixed media illustration, and both abstract and representational embroidery. Her studio practice explores materiality, process, and the relationship between structure and improvisation. Informed by mysticism, narrative literature, folklore, and mythology, Jablonski centers on the feminine and a sense of connection to the universe. Jablonski studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she developed an interdisciplinary approach that continues to influence her art. Alongside her practice, Jablonski has extensive curatorial experience, organizing exhibitions and supporting artists through thoughtful presentation, collaboration, and engagement with diverse audiences.
“Our Ancestors Light the Way” by Malika Jackson
Location: Athenian Candle Co., 300 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Malika Jackson is a painter, sculptor, educator and arts curator. Her works have been widely collected and exhibited in galleries, solo and group shows, and art festivals. A recipient of many awards (including the SPARK award in 2020), Jackson has been featured in the film, book, and magazine. She taught at the Chicago Public Schools curated the Cultural Connection Marketplace for 22 years, and completed a ceramic workshop in Tuscany, Italy. She is a graduate of the School of The Art Institute, where she received her BFA and MFA/Low Residency.
“FLUX OF FLAME and FALLING RED” by Beatriz E. Ledesma
Location: Spavia, 773 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Beatriz E. Ledesma is a Chicago-based artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She employs a Surrealist approach in her paintings to unveil the emotional and symbolic richness embedded in ordinary life. Her artistic process draws upon her Latin American heritage (charged with vibrant color), while simultaneously inviting the viewer to transcend the visual and enter into a contemplative space. As a psychotherapist in solo practice, Ledesma regards the use of art-making as one way to promote healing and empowerment in the clinical treatment of her adult clients. Ledesma holds a PH.D from the Institute of Clinical Social Work, and she graduated from the School of the Art Institute with a MAT/MFA.
“Can I have a dollar?” by Max Li
Location: Dugan’s, 128 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Max Li is an interdisciplinary artist from China and currently based in Chicago. He holds an MFA from the University of Chicago and a BFA with Honors from the University of California (Irvine). Li’s practice spans photography, tintype, object-making and contemporary digital tools, exploring the relationship between the sacred and the everyday with themes of memory, fractal & lived experience. Li is the Art Director at Big House Studio, Events and Program Manager at The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.
“Lady Liberty’s Torch” by Molly McGrath
Location: Mariano’s Fresh Market, 40 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Molly McGrath is a Chicago-based artist whose work includes drawings, collages, and fiber art, inspired by her everyday environment. Her subjects range from transit signage to a recent focus on expressive portraits of dolls that explore memory and lived experience. McGrath joined Project Onward in 2006 (a nonprofit studio and gallery dedicated to the career development of visual artists with mental illness and developmental disabilities), and is a meticulous documentarian who often works in detailed series, such as Parts of the Shirt. Her practice reflects long-standing interests shaped in childhood, including an ability to reference specific Sesame Street episodes in her work.
“Demokratia 508 BC to Modern Democracy 1776” by Patricia Owsiany
Location: 9 Muses Bar & Grill, 315 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Patricia Owsiany holds a BA in Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University. She has participated in many shows in Chicago and New York City. Her last solo exhibit was a mini retrospective, “Now and Then - Sumo Musings” at Space 900 in Evanston. Owsiany was born in Chicago and continues to live and create in the city.
“Liberty in Color” by Susan Stevens
Location: Moka & Co, 239 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Susan Stevens is an abstract collage artist. She has studied figure drawing, landscape, still life, and portraits. And, in a search for her own expression, Stevens combined a multiple of techniques to create her very personal abstract compositions. Before retiring, she was the Director of Communications at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. She now teaches art to children at two venues in SW Michigan and this summer will hold adult art classes through the Center for Life and Learning at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago.
“Flame of Freedom” by Pamela Stola
Location: Arkadia West Loop, 765 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Pamela Stola highlights nature’s beauty in each of her patio, balcony and garden designs. Her horticultural knowledge mixes with an eye informed by artistic expression to create both function and vibrancy in any site of any size. And, Stola often lends her many talents to Stola Contemporary Art, a gallery in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood.
“Light for Liberty” by Diane Thodos
Location: Athena Greek Restaurant, 212 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Diane Thodos is a Chicago-based artist with a 40-year career in painting and printmaking that emphasizes both abstract expressionism and German expressionism. She has exhibited internationally, and her work has been collected by the Milwaukee Art Museum (WI), The National Hellenic Museum (Chicago), The Smart Museum of Art (at U of C), The Block Museum (Northwestern U.), the Illinois Holocaust Museum (Skokie IL), the Koehnline Museum (Des Plaines IL), and among others, the Strake Jesuit Museum (Houston, TS).
“Perennial” by Chuck Walker
Location: Ithaki Estiatorio, 314 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Chuck Walker is a Chicago artist whose landscape, figurative and still life paintings are each, in some way, haunting and mysterious. His work has been exhibited at numerous venues, including the Rockford Art Museum; Hyde Park Art Center; Chicago Cultural Center; Chicago Botanic Garden; Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art; and, Evanston Art Center. And, Walker’s work is included in many private and public collections. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Annis Boudinot Stockton: Patriot and Poet” by Maureen Warren
Location: National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Maureen Warren received an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois, a B.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to the Academies of Fine Art in Cracow and Warsaw, Poland. Warren exhibits nationally and internationally. Significantly, her work showed at “Heat,” International Print Center, NYC; “Santitos,” Arceo Press, Madoff Gallery, Florence, Italy; and “Bestiarios y Nahuales, Arceo Press, Museo de la Bandera, Guerrero, Mexico. Having been awarded residencies in Virginia and France, Warren will be working with other global artists this summer at the Scuola Internationale di Grafica in Venice, Italy. For this exhibit, Warren honors Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736-1801). She was the wife of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. More importantly, Annis was a frequent correspondent with General George Washington, wrote patriotic poetry and was one of the first women to be published as America was being formed.
“Enriching a Distinct America” by Rebecca Zaragoza
Location: Greek Islands Restaurant, 200 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Rebecca Zaragoza is a Chicago artist. She engages in writing, painting and sculpting. Her favorite projects involve the use of discarded materials to create something new. “Art in all its varieties,” Zaragoza says, “is an expression of feelings.”
“To See the Good. To Act with Courage.” by students at Holy Trinity High School
Location: Rye Deli + Drink, 25 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
Created by four Holy Trinity High School students, this collaborative piece reflects our school year theme, To See + To Act, and the belief that meaningful change begins when individuals choose to see the dignity, humanity, and hope in one another. Each student designed one section independently, with the four pieces ultimately coming together as a single work to symbolize unity, shared purpose, and the common good.
Art by Chicagoland Greek schools
Sculpture artworks:
“Liberty in Bloom” by Plato Academy
Location: Greek Islands Restaurant, 200 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“Running the Race with Christ” by Guardian Angel Orthodox Day School
Location: Spectrum Bar and Grill, 233 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“Ρίζες του Ελληνισμού - Roots of Hellenism” by St Nectarios Greek School
Location: Mr. Greek Gyros, 234 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“The Torch of Freedom” by St George Greek School
Location: 9 Muses Bar & Grill, 315 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“Το Φως των Εθνών The Light of the Nations” by Hellenic American Academy
Location: National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“We Chose Freedom!” by Pythagoras Greek School at St Demetrios Elmhurst
Location: Athena Greek Restaurant, 212 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“The Flame of Liberty” by Solon Greek School at St. Demetrios Chicago
Location: Athenian Candle Co, 300 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“The Fire of Tradition” by Koraes Elementary School
Location: Ithaki Estiatorio, 314 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“Fos” by Sophocles Greek School
Location: Luxe Suites Chicago, 812 W. Adams Street, Chicago
Canvas artworks:
“One Flame, Two Nations, Shared Ideals” by Plutarchos Academy of St. Spyridon
Location: Spectrum Bar & Grill, 233 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“The Eternal Flame” by Holy Apostles Hellenic Academy
Location: Athenian Candle Co., 300 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“The Flame of Pythagoras” by Pythagoras Greek School of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Location: Athenian Candle Co., 300 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
“Eleftheria: A Shared Spirit” by Aristotle School of Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church
Location: Greek Islands Restaurant, 200 S. Halsted
About Greektown Chicago
Greektown is a dining, nightlife and cultural district located in Chicago’s vibrant West Loop area. A popular destination for tourists and residents alike, Greektown offers the best sampling of Greek heritage outside of Athens—from authentic restaurants, cafes and shops to the National Hellenic Museum and annual Taste of Greektown festival. Greektown Special Service Area #16 is the business improvement district for the neighborhood, administered by sole service provider the West Central Association and guided by a mayorally-appointed volunteer commission of local business owners, property owners and residents. For more information, visit GreektownChicago.org.