Painted by a diverse group of Chicago artists and named for Helios, the god of the sun in Greek mythology, the 24 artworks celebrate the sun and many draw inspiration from related mythologies, including those in the Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures. Hello Helios! is sponsored by Greektown SSA #16, the neighborhood’s business improvement district, and produced by the Greektown Arts Committee in partnership with the Chicago Greektown Educational Foundation.

Along with professional and emerging Chicago artists, the following seven Chicagoland Greek schools created works for the Hello Helios! exhibit: Holy Wisdom Academy Greek School (Willow Springs), Koraes Elementary School (Palos Hills), Plato Academy (Des Plaines), Pythagoras Greek School at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (Elmhurst), Pythagoras Greek School of St. John the Baptist (Des Plaines), St. Demetrios Solon Greek School (Chicago) and St. George Greek School (Chicago).

Hello Helios! sculpture titles, locations & artists:

Three Sisters by Le’Ana Asher

Location: Starbucks, 116 S. Halsted Street

Asher, a Native American Anishinaabe/Ojibwe artist from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, creates a visual narrative of the Three Sisters story found, in some form, among most every American Indian Nation. The plant sisters (corn, beans, squash or melon and sometimes a fourth sister, the sunflower) work together and in a natural way to provide healthy growth, long-term soil fertility and the essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. While each sister is different and unique, it’s when they work together that they are at their strongest.

There are Many Gods in the Skies by Juan A. Cano & Leyla Cano

Location: Mythical Smokes, 235 S. Halsted Street

Cano, a contemporary graffiti artist from Logan Square known for his “shattered glass” style, creates an artwork inspired by the continuation of life. He honors the spiritual beliefs and deities of different cultures that are brought together and reflected as heated light.

OSHUN by Malika Jackson

Location: Arkadia West Loop Apartments, 765 W. Adams (Halsted Street side)

Oshun is the goddess of love and abundance. Often seen as the Aphrodite of the Orishas, Oshun is called upon for guidance in love and desire and, as importantly, to support those who are going through a period of growth and transition.

The Journey of Sol by Tyrue Slang Jones

Location: Zen Leaf, 222 S. Halsted Street

Most of the historical poetical dramatists wrote of Apollo and Helios in reference to the Sun in Greek mythology. Jones, an internationally renowned graffiti artist, wanted to take a fresh new approach and create a visual story/storyboard of the God Helios as a Goddess named Sol which is the Roman equivalent for the Sun. Using traditional mythology and adding a contemporary twist in style, Jones tells his adaptation of the story.

A Neon Sun Sign by Victoria Martin

Location: Rye Deli + Drink, 25 S. Halsted Street

Inspired by the idea of the sun being a rare G-2 Yellow-Green Star, Martin uses fluorescent yellow in this artwork. But, bowing to more traditional experience, the artist includes orange as this is the color most visible through the atmosphere during sunrise and sunset.

Sun and Moon by James McNeill Mesplé

Location: Walgreens, 111 S. Halsted Street

In this artwork, Helios (the Sun) is flanked by his two sisters, Eos (the Dawn) and Artemis (the Moon) as they follow each other in a perpetual procession across the sky. Inspiration for this artwork comes from an ancient Greek coin featuring Helios (400-333 B.C.) and the artist’s recent reading of Sunflowers, The Secret History by Joe Pappalardo. Further, a large statue of Artemis (the Moon) sits beside Mesplé’s desk at the back of his studio and served as his muse.

Helios the Sun Shining in the Sky by Molly McGrath

Location: Wild Fork Foods, 100 S. Halsted Street

The inspiration for Molly’s art came from a dream she had about Helios, the Sun god, flying over Greektown on South Halsted Street, over the CTA Blue Line train station to Forest Park, the trains, train tracks and platform—and the CTA #8 bus stop on Halsted.

Aureole of Helios by Patricia Owsiany

Location: NW corner of Adams and Halsted Street

The classical Greeks considered Helios a minor god, but pulling his chariot from the East to the West every day is no minor feat. In this piece, Owsiany focuses on using hyper-warm colors to represents his aureole, which is the seat of his power. She styles the horses Helios used to reflect the sculpture and the paintings of the ancients.

Eye of Hours by Terry Poulos

Location: Mariano’s, 40 S. Halsted Street

Poulos exhibits the concept of warped time at relativistic, luminal velocities through the imagery of a harmonic oscillating photon pendulum. Featured visual elements in his work include the light spectrum, melting clock, solar eclipse, a homage to Dali’s “Persistence of Memory,” a sun dial, Tower of the Winds, Stonehenge, Mayan calendar, Egyptian obelisk, solar deity Ra, Horus, Archimedes’ “death ray” and a depiction of the ancient Helios statue.

Tower of the Son by Takashi Shallow, Mieko Vasilou & Alexander Hayashi

Location: Arkadia West Loop Apartments, 765 W. Adams (Halsted Street side)

The mother Amaterasu declared, “I am this child’s sun.” The father Helios proclaimed the same. The two argued. And while they argued, the disconnected spots of rouge turned to solid stripes. Soft cheeks turned to stone. The flares receded into a perfect circle. The baby wondered: “Why does the sun always fight with itself about where its ashes will go?”

Medusa and the Sun by Vicky Tesmer

Location: Parthenon Guest House, 310 S. Halsted Street

On one side of the sculpture edition, Tesmer features Medusa, described in Greek mythology as having living snakes in place of hair. The myth goes that whoever looks at her will turn to stone. On the other side of her piece, Tesmer highlights the beauty of the Sun—god of light and life.

Helios/Thalassa by Diane Thodos

Location: Greek Islands, 200 S. Halsted Street

The two Greek words meaning “Sun/Sea” show the bond between these two things both in the ancient world and today. Thodos depicts fish, squid, and octopi inspired by Minoan murals and ceramics showing bountiful and lively sea life. The Mediterranean Sea and its life-giving force is inseparable from the bright Mediterranean sun, two of the most indelible forces that travelers seek out when visiting Greece today.

Sun, Sun, Sun by Vasiliki Valkanas

Location: Mr. Greek Gyros, 234 S. Halsted Street

Science is constantly exploring the significance of the sun. Countless societies personify the sun in their mythology, tradition, and religion. And, in children’s drawings, a smiling yellow sun is a constant character. In this piece, Valkanas captures the multitude of ways that the sun inspires people’s imaginations, culture, and ideas.

Clytie by Miss Alex White

Location: The Van Buren, 808 W. Van Buren (Halsted Street side)

The Greek word for sunflower is ηλιάνθου (heliánthou), from the words for sun and flower. Greek mythology tells the tale of how the sea nymph Clytie was transformed into the sunflower, or heliotrope, which continuously turns its head to look wistfully at Apollo’s chariot of the sun. The Clytie artwork blends colors of the sky and sea into a bold, stenciled work reminiscent of retro, botanical wallpaper.

Helios over Rhodes by Kiki Whitehead

Location: National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted Street

Whitehead, a first-generation Greek American, drew inspiration for her art piece from Helios (Helius), the Titan god of the sun, a guardian of oaths, and the god of sight. She explains that the worship of Helios was most important in Rhodes. This is the island Helios chose as his gift from Zeus. Greek mythology is one of Whitehead’s favorite subjects making this project a pleasure to work on.

Our Healing Power by Rebecca Zaragoza

Location: Dugan’s, 128 S. Halsted Street

Ancient cultures around the world celebrated the sun as the giver of energy and warmth for all living things. People, plants, and animals thrive because of its rays. The sun was of great importance to the ancient Aztecs and among their deities was the sun god “Tonatiuh.” One of the most renowned representations of Tonatiuh appears on the famous Aztec calendar stone or Sun Stone that was uncovered in 1790 and now resides in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Zaragoza’s interpretation celebrates the sun’s influence on time, life, and the human spirit.

Sunset over Santorini by Eleni and Dahlia Medero

Presented by St. Demetrios Solon Greek School (Chicago)

Location: Athenian Candle Co., 300 S. Halsted Street

Helios over Chicago Waters by Maria Neri, Anthony Neri and Stefania Triolo

Presented by Holy Wisdom Academy Greek School (Willow Springs)

Location: Meli Cafe, 301 S. Halsted Street

Under One Sun by preschool through 8th grade students, guided by Bridget Grimaldi, Vasilike Bolos, Marianthi Koritsaris, Maria Bolos, Filisa Mantas and Marissa Anderson

Presented by Plato Academy (Des Plaines)

Location: Greek Islands, 200 S. Halsted Street

Helios, the Greek Sun God by 6^th grade student Eleftheria Alexandrakis with Joanna Rasoulis, Dimitris Kontos, Theodora Behlis and Katia Denic

Presented by Pythagoras Greek School at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (Elmhurst)

Location: Athena Restaurant, 212 S. Halsted Street

ΦΩΣ (phos, meaning “light”) by students from preschool to 8th grade

Presented by St. George Greek School (Chicago)

Location: Temple in Elysian Field at Van Buren & Halsted

Galini Blue by Stefani Andrews,Nicoletta Andrews, and Anjolie Riontino

Presented by Koraes Elementary School (Palos Hills)

Location: Spectrum Bar & Grill, 233 S. Halsted Street

On Homer’s Shores by high school students with Olga Metropulos

Presented by Pythagoras Greek School of Saint John the Baptist (Des Plaines)

Location: Artopolis Bakery, Cafe & Agora, 306 S. Halsted Street

“Koroibos” 1st Olympic Champion 776 B.C. by high school and 6^th grade students with Olga Metropulos

Presented by Pythagoras Greek School of Saint John the Baptist (Des Plaines)

Location: 9 Muses Bar & Grill, 315 S. Halsted Street

Sun sculpture design/build by Eve Moran and Connie Hinkle, The Greektown Arts Committee.

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Have you met Greektown’s Fun & Fanciful fish sculptures along Halsted Street? Come visit all 22 fishies near your favorite restaurants and shops. Learn more about each fish in our previous blog post and reference the map in advance visiting. Looking to get creative this fall? We’re excited to share that the Greektown Fun & Fanciful FIsh Coloring Sheet Sweepstakes has been extended through October. Get creative and color your own fish with markers, colored pencils, water colors or crayons and don’t forget to give them a name! For every fish you color in, be sure to share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GreektownChicagoFancifulFish to be entered into our sweepstakes for a chance to win some fun Greektown swag, which could include a lunchbox, beanie, umbrella or more. Sweepstakes will close on Oct. 31, 2020. Download the coloring sheet here.

New Sculpture Arrives in Greektown: Invertadude

At the heart of #GreektownChicago sits a nearly 12 foot, 750lb concrete sculpture by artist Carrie Fischer. With the Willis Tower and West Loop skyscrapers in the background, this contemporary piece takes us back in time to when carving figures in stone was common. The sculpture strikes a casual unassuming pose on his head, as if the world doesn’t matter. The sculpture symbolizes how this year has challenged us to invert our thoughts to adapt to the changing times. See the sculpture for yourself at the corner of Halsted Street and Van Buren Street in Elysian Fields and watch the installation video linked here!

Photo Credit: Carrie Fischer 

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Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing or a way to keep your kids engaged, Greektown Chicago invites you to visit the 22 fish sculptures near your favorite Greektown restaurants and shops, and participate in the coloring sheet sweepstakes! In advance of visiting the fish sculptures, read more about each fish here, and reference the map here. Enjoy a fun activity at home and get creative by coloring your own fish with markers, colored pencils, water colors or crayons. Don’t forget to give them a name! 

For every fish you color in, be sure to share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GreektownChicagoFancifulFish to be entered into our sweepstakes for a chance to win some fun Greektown swag, which could include a lunchbox, beanie, umbrella and more. Please note, the sweepstakes is open now through Sept. 30, closing at 5 p.m. CST. Fish drawings completed by children need to be shared by a parent or guardian 18 years or older to be eligible for entry. Unlimited entries per person with each new drawing.

Download the coloring sheet here. 

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Come visit all 22 fishies near your favorite restaurants and shops and learn more about each fish in our previous blog post. If you’re looking for some extra fun, we’re excited to bring a fishie to your own home with a downloadable coloring sheet. Get creative and color your own fishie with markers, colored pencils, water colors or crayons and don’t forget to give them a name! 

Stay tuned for more on a fun giveaway that we’ll be sharing on Greektown’s social media pages. We’re excited to see where your creativity takes you with this project.

Download the coloring sheet here.

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Greektown Chicago is alive with new street art! A school of 22 fanciful fish have landed along Halsted Street between Monroe and Van Buren. Each of the artist-painted fish sculptures is amazing. Some fishies showcase the imagination of Greek School students and teachers. Other fish exhibit the creativity of some of Chicago’s finest professional and emerging artists. 

These fabulous fish are positioned near your favorite shops, bars, and restaurant. (See listing below). And, they will be delighting visitors to Greektown all summer long.

The Greektown Arts Committee appreciates our partnership with the Chicago Greektown Educational Foundation and is thankful for the Greek Schools participating in this art display including:    

• St. Demetrios SOLON Greek School of Chicago
• Holy Wisdom Academy 
• Pythagoras Greek School of St. John the Baptist 
• Koraes Elementary School 
• Greek School Pythagoras of Elmhurst 
• St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago 

Inspiration for the project comes from ancient Greek culture. As many Greeks lived close to the sea, fish was an essential food source for centuries, and it remains a healthy food option and staple menu item at many Greektown restaurants. So too, many children have a pet fish at home and will relate to these special fishies. Further, the project calls attention to the need for protecting our waters and sea creatures. 

Each fish is painted on both sides requiring the viewer’s engagement. Each fish artwork has a title. And of course, each artist has given their fish a name. We have listed all 22 fishies below detailing the fish name, artist, title of the piece, location and the inspiration behind the piece or more about the artist. 

“Poseidon”

• Title: Poseidon Protects the Church
• Artist: Juan Cano
• About: An established Chicago Graffiti Artist, Cano is known for his distinct “shattered glass style” as shown in the image of Poseidon. An interest in Greek mythology and the beauty of Santorini, Greece, further influenced his fish design. (Early this  year, Cano participated in a program at The Cliff Dwellers celebrating Pilsen’s original muralists).
• Location: Poseidon sits on his tail on the west side of Halsted Street near Van Buren Street. 

“Zelda”

• Title: Tiger Queen 
• Artist: Alexandra Damato
• About: Damato discovered her love of art while traveling through Southeast Asia. She is inspired by the beauty of our natural world. Damato connects with her Greek heritage not only through art, but also by her cooking and gardening. She is also a certified yoga instructor and on the team of Urban Rivers.
• Location: Zelda is parked by Arkadia Tower on Halsted south of Adams St.

“Despina”

• Title: Where’s the Beach
• Artist: Panos Fiorentinos
• About: Despina, the fish, would rather be swimming in the seas near Greek coastal cities than sitting on dry land in Chicago. Her creator, Fiorentinos, once built architectural models for San Francisco architects but more recently used his art photography for a book on Midwest Greek Orthodox Churches titled ECCLESIA. 
• Location: Despina stands at the south end of Athena Restaurant; 212 S. Halsted St.

“Stratum”

• Title: Stratum’s Doorway
• Artist: Tyrue “Slang” Jones of Slangism.com
• About: “Slang single-handedly defines the Chicago Graffiti movement. For 30 years, he has been a non-stop force pushing the limits of his art and teaching the history of the culture that he helped to create.” – Roger Gastman, co-author, The History of American Graffiti. Slang’s is a world of color, rhythm, passion and personal story. 
• Location: Stratum stands tall in front of Dugan’s at 128 S. Halsted

“Fishy”

• Title: Fishy Faces’ Recovery
• Artist: Kathleen King 
• About: A Chicago-based artist and educator, King serves on the board of the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts (located on the Greek Island of Skopelos). As the viewer circles around King’s creation, both the expressions on the fish’s face and the symbolic images on the fish’s body, will change. Depending on the point of entry, there is either a transition from illness to health or vice versa.  For King, this expresses the idea that health management is a balancing act that can tip either way. 
• Location: Fishy has landed on the side of 9 Muses Bar & Grill – 315 S. Halsted

“Glenda”

• Title: Wish Fish 
• Artist: Victoria Martin
• About: Martin holds a BA in art education and an MFA in performance from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Known for her large mystical murals based on religious texts, Martin’s current practice is Synesthesia (art done live during jazz music events). Using musically-influenced colors, she brings us Glenda, the good magic “wish fish.” Visit the fish and tell her your wish! 
• Location: Glenda is situated in front of Starbucks at 116 S. Halsted Street

“Smokey the Salmon”

• Title: Swimming in the Blue Water of Alaska 
• Artist: Molly McGrath
• About: McGrath is a  versatile visual artist at Project Onward, a studio and gallery in the Bridgeport Art Center. She was inspired to paint Smokey after reading about the relationship between the Black bears and the salmon of Alaska. Visit projectonward.org 
• Location: Smokey resides near the National Hellenic Museum: 333  S. Halsted st.

“Dolphin”

• Title: Athena and Triton 
• Artist: James Mesple 
• About: James McNeil Mesple joyfully absorbed many of our world’s diverse cultures early in his art career. He now brings classical myths to life. Mesple uses rich, vivid colors (grinding his own pigments for intensity and saturation) to achieve his contemporary vision. His art is in many public and private collections. 
• Location: Dolphin lives near Artopolis Bakery, Cafe & Agora; 306 S. Halsted St.

“Konstantinos”

• Title: Of the Aegean
• Artist: Patricia Owsiany
• About: Owsiany considers the many seas – the Aegean, the Ionian, the Mediterranean, and the Sea of Crete – that surround the Greek Islands. She uses color and texture to capture these sun-drenched waters, and the wonderful aquatic life that dwells within, as inspiration for her fantasy fish. Owsiany’s work has been shown in galleries in Chicago, Evanston, and New York.
• Location: Konstantinos sits near Mr. Greek Gyros; 234 S. Halsted St.

“Polly”

• Title: Aquatic Decoherence
• Artist: Terry Poulos 
• About: Growing out of his strong interest in science, Poulos’ fish draws awareness to the catastrophic effects of single-use plastics polluting the Earth’s oceans, seas, lakes and river. His fish, in part, depicts a molecule of water, H2O, and a molecule of polyurethane, i.e., the active compound in water bottles. And Poulos further champions the marine conservation group Bluering.blue. 
•  Location: Polly sits in front of Meli Cafe & Juice Bar at 301 S. Halsted St.

“Big Fish” 

• Title: Jonah and the Whale 
• Artist: Vicky Tesmer
• About: A story from the Old Testament comes to vivid life in this creation.  Tesmer’s art has been exhibited locally, nationally and on an international scale, e.g. Cairo and Luxor, Egypt; Bochum, Germany. Her work is an ongoing dialogue between society and the artist’s inner world that travels through time/space and form/function.
• Location: Big Fish rests in front of Chicago Parthenon Hostel: 310 S. Halsted St.

“Sprite”

• Title: The One That Got Away 
• Artist: Chuck Walker 
• About: The compelling and diverse work of Walker has been widely exhibited and included in both private and public collections. In this artwork, flush with beautiful color, he ponders the question: Who dreams? The Fisherman or the fish?
• Location: Sprite is parked on the northwest corner of Halsted street and Adams street

“Demo”

• Title: Finding Demo 
• Artist: Miss Alex White 
• About: Music and visual art work work well together. White is a guitarist with the rock’n’roll duo White Mystery, and a visual artist who attended Gallery 37 and graduated from DePaul University. In this time of performance interruption, Miss Alex White turned her talents to creating the delightful Demo.
• Location: Demo waits at the south end of Walgreens; 111 S. Halsted St.

“Lovie”

• Artist: Kiki Whitehead
• Title: ΑΓΑΠΗ
• About: A noted children’s book illustrator, and a recognized leader in the Hellenic community, Whitehead’s artistic roots sprouted early in childhood when she studied charcoal drawing and oil painting in art school. With the start of protests this year, she was inspired to promote love (ΑΓΑΠΗ in Greek) through her art piece “Love-Raki.” With a fun wordplay based on a popular fish dish, i.e., lovraki, Whitehead’s work includes the term Love on one side & the word ΑΓΑΠΗ on the other side. And, the circular symbols are the Greek “mati” used to protect us from bad intentions brought on by jealousy and hate.
• Location: Lovie is found on the southwest corner of Halsted and Adams St.

“Char”

• Title: Prometheus 
• Artist: Vasiliki Valkanas
• About: Working in both traditional mediums and graphic design, Valkanas drew inspiration for this piece from Ancient Greek pottery and the story of Prometheus: the “eternal sufferer” who defied the gods to give fire to man. She believes the message in this myth – showing the value of knowledge and importance of doing the right thing despite all challenges – is as valuable today as in centuries past.  
• Location: Char is positioned by Arkadia on Halsted just south of Adams St.

“Goldie”

• Title: Goldie Gives Gratitude
• Artist: Rebecca Zaragoza & Eve Moran 
• About: Zaragoza, a freelance artist and author, uses a variety of art forms and strings of words to color the world. Her fish “Goldie” pays tribute and gives thanks to the wide range of healthcare workers who “saved lives” in this perilous period. Moran’s side adds a Greek olive tree to express love and friendship to all our many heroes. 
• Location: Goldie sits near Arkadia Tower on Halsted just south of Adams St.

Fish created by Greek Schools: 

“Pythagoras”

• Title: Pythagorean Theorem
• Artist: Eirini Sizopoulos
• School: Greek School PYTHAGORAS of Elmhurst 
• Location: Pythagoras rests comfortably in front of Athena restaurant at 212 S. Halsted St.

“Fishbowl”

• Title: A Cat’s Dinner
• Artist: Chris Hale, Tessa Hale 
• School: Holy Wisdom Academy 
• Location: Fishbowl charms alongside Santorini restaurant at the corner of Halsted and Adams

“Thalassia”

• Title: Fish is Delish 
• Artist: Alexandra Bakopoulos
• School: St. Demetrios SOLON Greek School of Chicago 
• Location: Thalassia brings beauty in front of Athenian Candle at 300 S. Halsted St.

“Blue”

• Title: Blue the Color of Sky and Sea 
• Artist: Dimitri Koutelidakis,Niko Harisiadis, Sophia Harisiadis
• School: Pythagoras Greek School of St. John the Baptist 
• Location: Blue is flipping their fins in front of Spectrum Bar & Grill; 233 S. Halsted St.

“Greco”

• Title: Greek God of the Sea
• Artist: Jimmy Economou
• School: School Koraes Elementary School
• Location: Greco welcomes in front of 9 Muses Bar & Grill; 315 S. Halsted St.

“Brizo”

• Title: Love recognizes no barriers – Maya Angelou
• Artist: Nikoleta Rentzelos
• School: St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago
• Location: Brizo shares love alongside Greek Islands Restaurant at Halsted and Adams St.

We hope you enjoy these fun, friendly and fanciful fishie sculptures around the neighborhood this summer, and stay tuned for more activations surrounding this fun street art project!

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• Art Program Update: The Greektown Arts Committee is preparing something wonderful for the community. Beginning this summer, a public art exhibit will be installed largely along Halsted Street featuring Greektown’s Fun and Fanciful Fish. Stay tuned for more details!

The post Greektown Neighborhood Updates May 2020 appeared first on Greektown Chicago.

This sculpture will be on exhibit in the Greektown temple at Halsted and Monroe Streets for one year, so stop by to check out the “Lady of the Lake”! 

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The Modernity of the Ancient Greek Discus celebrates Hellenic architecture, Olympic sport and art. Local artists and young students from five-area Greek language schools were asked to apply their spin on this unique melding of ancient and modern. The display features 20 colorfully painted sculptures along Halsted Street, and on Adams and Van Buren. 

Thank you to all that attended the ribbon cutting ceremony on June 19 to celebrate the newest addition to the Greektown Chicago neighborhood. The public art exhibit will be on display in Greektown through November 2019!

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The discus throw was one of the five events in the “pentathlon” in the ancient Olympic Games of 708 BCE. The Greek poet Homer made mention of this sport in the Iliad and the Odyssey, further noting its importance within Hellenic history.  Discus was an event during the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, and since then it continues to be a part of the Olympics.

The art program is slated to launch in the Greektown neighborhood this spring, with more details to come!

Photo via GreekBoston.com

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Vasiliki Valkanas

Vasiliki is a Chicago-based artist and graphic designer. In the exhibit, you can see her clean, modern aesthetic that is consistent across her other work. Vasiliki is inspired by nature and organic textures and tries to work that aesthetic into her other pieces. While Vasiliki focuses on graphic design and large-scale paintings, she also touches on drawing, mixed media, sculpture, installation and murals. Throughout her work, it is clear she brings a strong technical approach.

Tracy Ostmann-Hashke

Tracy’s art can be seen throughout Chicago, including a 3D Piranha sculpture at the Shedd Aquarium and exhibits at Eastwick Gallery. Her work is often inspired by her native roots in rural Missouri. The constant company of wood workers, clock makers, furniture builders, ceramicists and painters has contributed to the way Tracy perceives art. Tracy completed her B.F.A. from Webster University in St. Louis Missouri and received a grant and merit scholarship from The Art Institute of Chicago to attend the Post Baccalaureate certificate program. Since then, Tracy has received numerous accolades, including a Chicago Arts Assistance Program grant award and first place at the Wells Street Art Fair in 2016. Check out her lighthouse in Greektown and other works of art throughout the city!

Diane Thodos

Diane has always been drawn to the expressionist art movements of the Modernist era, most specifically the Abstract Expressionism from the 1940’s-1950’s and the German Expressionism from 1906-1924. She works to bring emotional depth to her artwork despite the times of crisis and transformation. You can see the inspiration of the Modernist era as Diane’s paintings and prints embody both an element of lyricism and one of tragedy. Through her art, Diane strives to reveal outward states of inward feeling.

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