Riverwalk Gateway

Murals: I - Exploration II - Fort Dearborn III - The New City IV - Float Bridge and I & M Canal V - Three Swing Bridges VI - The Great Fire VII - Three Bridges VIII - Columbian Exposition IX - Reversal of the Waters X - Michigan Avenue Bridge XI - Grant Park and the Burnham Plan XII - A Century of Progress XIII - The South Branch XIV - The North Branch XV - The Main Branch XVI - The Riverwalk Artwork copyright 2000 Ellen Lanyon All rights reserved Photos at right and above copyright Gary Taber Photographer Acknowledgements by Ellen Lanyon Essay by Michael Rooks

Chicago's largest work of public art to date, Riverwalk Gateway by Ellen Lanyon tells the history of Chicago and its river. The magnificent 336-foot long wall installation consists of sixteen narrative panels and twelve decorative panels. Each panel is six-feet by nine-feet, overglaze painted and fired on ceramic tile. The narratives, which are told through a combination of scenes, vignettes, and objects, begin in 1673 with the explorations of Marquette and Jolliet, followed by a mural with scenes from 1782 of Jean Baptiste DuSable and 1803 when Fort Dearborn was built. Paintings record the development of Chicago's bridges and commemorate landmark events and important sites along the river and the lake, concluding in 2000 with the recreational use of the Chicago river. Riverwalk Gateway is a history lesson worth seeking out and studying. The sixteen narrative panels may be viewed here through links shown at the left. The murals are installed along the parallel interior walls of a trellised passageway located under Lake Shore Drive on the south bank of the Chicago river. The structure serves as a gateway connecting the Chicago Riverwalk and the lakefront path. It consists of two 168-foot long walls which are connected by graceful steel arches. The arches, complete with marquee lighting, form a lattice roof above a 26-foot wide concrete path. The latest addition to Chicago's Riverwalk Master Plan, the Riverwalk Gateway is a joint project of the Chicago Department of Transportation, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Chciago Department of Planning and Development.

Public Art in Chicago

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