Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood has been described as a “living art museum” by the Chicago Sun-Times. Many of the neighborhood’s murals date back to the 1970s and 1980s. Chicago’s Mexican muralists drew inspiration from Tenochtitlan, and Aztec (Mexica) myths, symbols and iconography to celebrate the community’s Mexican identity. This celebration of Tenochtitlan in public art is not just found in Pilsen, it is also found throughout Little Village, Chicagoland, and likely most Mexican-American communities in the United States. The below list is incomplete, it does not include every mural, mosaic, or public art installation in Chicagoland that draws upon Tenochtitlan as a subject to be celebrated and commemorated. Contact us with suggestions of any murals or mosaics which should be added to this list.
Additional Information
- Latino Mural Cityscapes: A Reflection on Public Art, History, and Community in Chicago after World War II, EthniCities, 2011
- Pilsen street art guide from The Grid, Chicago Sun-Times
- 18th Street Pink Line, Chicagotlan
- Casa Aztlan, Chicagotlan
- Our Lady of Guadalupe, Chicagotlan
- First Nations Garden, Chicagotlan
11. 1034 W. 18th Street Sun Stone Carving on Wooden Fence
12. 16th Street and Allport Street Mural
13. 16th Street and Carpenter Street Mural
14. Benito Juarez Community Academy Murals (1450 W. Cermak Road, Chicago, IL 60608)
16. Chantico Mural (1061 W. 16th Street, Chicago, IL 60608 - entrance of Chantico Lofts)
17. Cooper Dual Language Academy Mosaics (1645 W. 18th Place, Chicago, IL 60608)
18. Cuauhtémoc Mural (1854 W. 21st Street, Chicago, IL 60608 - El Popocatepetl Tortilleria)
19. Educación para el Pueblo Mural (1213 W. 18th Street, Chicago, IL 60608)
20. Farragut High School Mural (2345 S. Christiana Avenue, Chicago, IL 60623)
21. St. Pius V School Mural (1919 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608 - above Cullerton Street entrance)
22. Taqueria El Milagro Mural (1923 S. Blue Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608 - on Cullerton Street side)
23. Xōchipilli Mural (1758 W. 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608)