Categories: Chicago

BMO Harris and CPS Lives Collaborate

CPS Lives and BMO Harris last month on June 15th collaborated with CPS students, volunteers, and their families to create the mural, “If I Could Show The World” at the Hyde Park Art Center. Lead Artists Dorian and Jeff Phillips helped with the work of 11 different CPS Lives artists and over 20 different CPS Schools were featured in the finished mural.

After the mural was finished, it was installed at BMO Harris Bank’s downtown Chicago location on the corner of LaSalle and Monroe. On June 29th, a small celebration with the public took place. The celebration highlighted the efforts of CPS Lives artists and CPS students who made this project possible. For about a month, the mural will be there for public viewing.

Art can tell stories and change narratives,” says Suzette Bross, Executive Director of CPS Lives. “This mural is an expression of giving back to the community and showing the good in humanity.” A group of Chicago students, in June 2020, transformed temporary plywood, used to cover BMO Harris Bank’s main branch during protests, into a work of art expressing messages of hope and unity.

Protests had erupted across Chicago and the rest of the country. BMO Harris Bank and CPS Lives looked for ways to support local communities and to stand against racial inequality and injustice. BMO is a longstanding supporter of both Chicago’s public schools and the city’s arts community. They reached out to CPS Lives and asked if they wanted to create artwork on the plywood around the branch.

CPS Lives Founder Suzette says, “BMO’s values of fairness, equality, and inclusion perfectly align with ours.” CPS Lives is a non-profit organization that creates artist residencies in Chicago Public Schools to share honest and positive stories about public schools. Local artists collaborate with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project.

Deborah Pevy

Guest Writer

Recent Posts

Chicago Cuts Divvy Membership Costs, Expands Access

Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Lyft have announced a set of improvements to the Divvy…

3 days ago

Chicago Shooting Leaves 4 Dead, 18 Wounded at Event

What began as a lively evening in a bustling Chicago neighborhood known for its restaurants andnightlife turned into chaos late…

3 days ago

Feds Urge States to Remove Political Symbols From Roads

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has urged all 50 state governors, along with the governors of Puerto Rico and the…

3 days ago

Chicago Sky Partners With Moonshot to Tackle Online Abuse

The Chicago Sky has entered a groundbreaking partnership with Moonshot, a company specializing in countering digital threats using technologies developed…

3 days ago

Chicago Fire FC II Earns MLS NEXT Pro Honors Again

Chicago Fire FC II has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 16, following strong performances that extended…

4 days ago

Record July 4 Travel Expected Across U.S. in 2025

This Fourth of July holiday is set to be the busiest on record, with an estimated 72.2 million Americans expected…

4 days ago