City Bricks Project: West Garfield Park

This mural was created by the City Bricks Project, a project founded and led by videographer/filmmaker Khosro Adam Beik. The mural displays U.S. Census Bureau statistics demonstrating disparity between the community of West Garfield Park and more affluent Chicago-area communities. The data is intended to enhance awareness and inform the public about issues impacting disinvested communities such as W. Garfield Park, while underscoring the urgency of these issues. Since information is power, the project democratizes data so everyone can speak about them in order to find solutions. The statistics, which will be updated with new Census information as available and after election cycles, include: life expectancy, median household income, high school graduation rates, households in poverty, and median home value. The mural states that these conditions result in lower opportunity for children to thrive compared to other communities, and includes a space for local residents to place their signatures as a gesture of endorsement. The mural is located on one wall of a building that is privately owned and operated as Nexx Phaze Barber/Beauty/Studio. The impetus for the mural was the great disparity in life expectancy between W. Garfield Park and nearby, more affluent communities. Through a companion feature-length documentary film, "We Witness," Khosro Beik interviewed local residents, business owners and leaders to shed light on the statistics. The film screened multiple times on WTTW channel 11, and is currently streaming for three years on WTTW's website. The City Bricks Project is a collaborative endeavor that plans additional murals, films, public engagement opportunities, and partnerships in Chicago and elsewhere. www.CityBricksProject.com The mural and film have helped to galvanize attention to the issues present in the community and resources needed to solve them, such as the Sankofa Wellness Village, a project of the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, which was awarded the 2nd Annual Chicago Prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation in January 2023. We expect that the mural will continue to inspire engagement with and solutions for social justice issues in W. Garfield Park and other communities.

Where to find it

4333 W Madison Ave. Location data: Chicago Open Data. Get directions