HOPE HITS THE PAVEMENT

Through colorful chalk murals, City of Hope transformed sidewalks into bright tributes to cancer survivors and their caregivers.

HOLDING A LARGE PIECE OF CHALK, artist Luis Colindres moves his hand in fluid arcs across the pavement, adding bright swirls to the jungle mural he’s creating.

Transfixed, two young children ask if they can help, and Colindres agrees, guiding them as they draw a galaxy of tiny stars.

“I love doing this,” says Colindres, one of nine artists participating in the recent Artistic Expressions of Hope street art initiative hosted by City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago (COH).

Part of a national network dedicated exclusively to oncology, COH provides patients with the expertise and advanced treatments that have helped it achieve outcomes exceeding national benchmarks in several areas. Shaped to honor cancer survivors, recognize caregivers, and raise awareness about the cancer journey, COH’s Artistic Expressions of Hope initiative brought nearly 18,000 people together across nine locations throughout the Chicago area and southeastern Wisconsin.

That included three North Shore chalk drawing events—one at a professional ultimate frisbee game in Evanston, another at Lake Forest Family Field Day with Unplug Illinois at Deerpath Community Park, and a third at the Lake Forest Library.

“Unlike artwork displayed in a gallery, chalk installations meet people where they are—on sidewalks, in parks, outside hospitals, and in community gathering spaces,” says Leslie Brewer, head of marketing and communications for City of Hope Chicago and a Lake Forest resident. “The medium invites curiosity and conversation while creating opportunities for people to reflect on the impact cancer has on individuals and families.”

“We wanted to bring hope directly into the community in a highly visible and interactive way,” adds Pete Govorchin, COH president. “Chalk art transforms everyday public spaces into places for connection, reflection, and healing while making it easy for anyone to participate in the conversation.”

To find the muralists, COH partnered with Live Art International, a national organization known for bringing communities together through large-scale public art experiences.

“Together, we identified talented local artists whose own lives had been touched by cancer and who could authentically share stories of remembrance, resilience, survivorship and hope through their artwork,” says Brewer.

Colindres, who created the Lake Forest mural, has a close family member who has been battling cancer. His artwork—a gorgeous view inspired by a hike up a volcano in Guatemala, was created in that person’s honor.

“A huge driving force in my life, this person encouraged me to push myself to be the best I can be,” he says.

That included tackling the challenging Guatemalan hikes.

“People told me they were too scary or too dangerous,” Colindres recalls. “They’d ask, ‘Why would you put yourself through that suffering?’”

But, like the family member he honored through the mural, the difficult climbs ultimately made him stronger.

“They made me stronger on the other side,” he says, giving him a new perspective on life: “Some things we humans worry about don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.”

Beyond the large-scale chalk art installations done by the artists, more than 1,000 people picked up a piece of chalk to add their own messages, drawings, or tributes—transforming the pavement at each location into a living canvas of shared experiences.

One grandfather wrote a heartfelt birthday message to his wife, celebrating her recent victory over breast cancer. Another participant sketched a tree, explaining that it symbolized her cancer journey and the strength she gained with every challenge she overcame.

The community connection also extended far beyond the event sites.

“The initiative generated nearly 20,000 impressions and more than 750 engagements on social media, shared under the hashtag #HopeLivesHere,” says Brewer.

This was the second City of Hope implementation of the Artistic Expressions of Hope program. The original concept debuted at City of Hope Orange County in 2021 with Chicago becoming the next market to bring the initiative to life on a large scale.

Based on these successes, additional activations are now being considered for City of Hope locations in California, Arizona, and Georgia.

“One of the things I love most about this initiative is seeing community members of all ages come together to create something beautiful,” Govorchin concludes. “These events spark conversations, inspire hope, and help strengthen the connections that make our communities so special.”