High Hopes From shelter to shelter, hope poses as a novelty that always falls in high demand, but this week, after an effort fronted by local mural specialist Augustina Droze, a renewed sense of optimism will take root at the Great Hope Family Center—a homeless shelter located in Pilsen—and will make its way into the shelter from the outside-in. “I designed the mural to be garden-themed as a play on words with the shelter’s name,” the artist explains. On display on one of the shelter’s outside walls, Droze’s latest, completed with quite a bit of help and inspiration from Chicago Public School students, encapsulates the message of “Great Hope” and converts it into a slightly more sustainable “Hope Garden.” Incorporating student-designed flowers based off of their dreams of the future, the final result—to be revealed on location this Thursday—depicts the future as something capable of cultivation regardless of circumstance. “Whether they enjoy painting or painting on walls in general, the kids love it,” Droze says.
