PROJECT GOALS

Nearly 60 years ago, the Wall of Respect — a mural painted in the heart of Bronzeville — sparked a people’s art movement and helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement. The first large-scale outdoor community mural in the United States, the Wall of Respect's celebration of iconic Black leaders made it a focal point of community activism and a destination for thousands of visitors.  While it lasted only a few years, its impact endures.

The Bronzeville Murals Project (BMP) will build on this foundation of cultural placemaking in order to facilitate creative enterprises and drive community progress. Centered at our Boxville shipping container market and extending to The Forum and Bronzeville Cookin’, BMP 2024 will invite Bronzeville artists to create a series of publicly accessible outdoor murals in order to engage and empower our community around the theme of Culture, Commerce & Community.

The primary theme of BMP is Culture, Commerce & Community and content will highlight Bronzeville — specifically at the 51st and 43rd Street retail corridors — as a hub for Black culture and entrepreneurship. A related narrative thread is Boxville and The Forum as key destinations for the authentic Bronzeville experience for residents and tourists.