A tiki-themed mural now greets commuters and pedestrians at the corner of South Boulevard and Kenilworth Avenue, the latest hand-painted addition to the railroad retaining walls that line Oak Park's Green Line corridor.

Oak Park artist Matt Buko painted "Feeling Aloha" as part of the Oak Park Area Arts Council's long-running Mini-Mural project. He shared the finished work in a July 24 Facebook post, and the Village of Oak Park announced the mural on Thursday, Aug. 13.

Buko, who specializes in spray paint and acrylic murals and shows work at Gallery 200 in West Chicago, was chosen from a pool of 700 applicants for this year's cycle. In his Facebook post documenting the project, he called the selection "truly an honor."

"It was truly an honor to get selected for this Mini Mural Project in Village of Oak Park — there were 700 different entries and based on what I've seen, that was no easy decision for them," Buko wrote on July 24.

He said conversations with passersby while he painted warmed his heart and that he met other talented artists during the process. He thanked the Arts Council "for putting this all together for so many years."

How it works

The Mini-Mural project places artwork on retaining walls along the Green Line viaducts, turning transit infrastructure into a rotating outdoor gallery. Each selected artist receives $750 for materials before starting and another $750 upon completion. The murals range from roughly 6 feet by 8 feet to 6 feet by 11 feet.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon praised the program in a March 2 post on X while promoting the 2026 application window:

@donharmonil: "Our Green Line viaducts have turned into one of Oak Park's most unique outdoor galleries thanks to the mini mural program."

The Arts Council, led by executive director Camille Wilson White, has run the Mini-Mural program for years. In June, the council and the Park District of Oak Park co-hosted "Beyond the Walls: The Art Behind Oak Park's Mini Murals" at Cheney Mansion, where residents could meet the artists behind the work.

Where to find it

"Feeling Aloha" is viewable anytime at the retaining wall on South Boulevard at Kenilworth Avenue, near the Green Line station. Buko sells a custom spray can used in the mural through his website, mattbuko.com.