Kenwood Academy Students Transform Loop Building

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U.S. General Services Administration Great Lakes Region staff, including Regional Administrator Ann P. Kalayil (front left, in glasses); Leif Elsmo (standing to the right behind Ms. Kalayil), University of Chicago; Matt Milkowski (standing center with gray scarf), art teacher at Kenwood Academy; and students from Kenwood Academy. (Photo Credit: Adam Hall, U.S. General Services Administration Great Lakes Region)
U.S. General Services Administration Great Lakes Region staff, including Regional Administrator Ann P. Kalayil (front left, in glasses); Leif Elsmo (standing to the right behind Ms. Kalayil), University of Chicago; Matt Milkowski (standing center with gray scarf), art teacher at Kenwood Academy; and students from Kenwood Academy. (Photo Credit: Adam Hall, U.S. General Services Administration Great Lakes Region)

CHICAGO - The U.S. General Services Administration, together with Kenwood Academy High School and the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, dedicated an innovative public art project on Dec. 21 that brings much needed life and revitalization to a downtown edifice located 212 South State Street.

Students painted fourteen window panels in a floral motif to contribute to the unoccupied building's street-level visual transformation. GSA Regional Administrator Ann P. Kalayil dedicated the windows and recognized the local schoolchildren who contributed to the display.

"These panels showcase a true community partnership, with students from Kenwood Academy and children from Comer Children's Hospital creating a vibrant mural at 212. S. State Street, along one of Chicago's most famous streets," said Kalayil.

GSA worked with Portraits of Hope, a non-profit organization that creates art therapy projects for children and adults, to identify a GSA-owned building in downtown Chicago that could showcase a large-scale art piece. Portraits of Hope partnered with Comer Children's Hospital and Kenwood Academy High School to find both patients and students to paint the colorful floral pattern.

"Projects like this one help connect government with the community it serves," said Kalayil. "We hope to continue finding innovative ways to partner with our community in ways that make a real difference to the areas we work in."

This project marks the first time GSA's Great Lakes Region has collaborated with Portraits of Hope to create art for a government-owned building in Chicago. The 212 S. State Street art facade, on display through 2012, is a privately funded initiative made possible by Portraits of Hope with the generous support of individuals, businesses, and foundations.

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