A mini-mural called "You Do Belong" greets pedestrians along South Boulevard near Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park.
Artist Nicki Fortunati-Warren painted the piece as part of the Oak Park Area Arts Council's mini-mural program. It is one of 30 murals added along the village's Green Line embankment this year, the Village of Oak Park said on its Instagram page.
The program launched in 2010. It commissions artists each year to paint concrete frames along the CTA Green Line embankment on North Boulevard and South Boulevard. The Arts Council's website describes it as its "most beloved visual arts program."
About 230 murals line the walls on both sides of the tracks, stretching from downtown Oak Park to the Green Line's Austin station, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in February. Artists are paid $1,500 for their work and must bring their own paint.
Camille Wilson White, executive director of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, told the Sun-Times in February that the selection process is competitive. Each year's group of artists is chosen fresh from new submissions. "There's still a lot more to do," Wilson White said. "We are proud of these murals. People love them."
Fortunati-Warren, a Chicago-based artist, illustrator and bookbinder originally from Italy, expressed gratitude in a comment on the village's Instagram post. "It feels amazing to be part of this project," she wrote. "Thank you Oak Park."
Residents can view the mural and the rest of the collection along North and South boulevards. The 2026 application cycle for new murals is closed, according to the Arts Council's website.
