EDITOR'S LETTER

ARTFUL IMPACT

As with most pursuits, planning magazine content requires both long- and short-term time management. We strive to maintain a constant balance between the preparation required to report, photograph, and illustrate feature stories and the need to create content that still feels fresh and relevant by the time the magazine lands in a reader’s hands.

In late winter, when we planned this month’s cover story on outdoor art (p. 42), we knew long walks and alfresco dining were on the horizon, and we wanted to give readers a potential itinerary for exploring the outdoor creativity found in the west suburbs.

Little did we know how much the pandemic would force us to treasure the outdoors in new ways, or how the expressions of these artists would resonate deeply with local people desperate for meaning and security.

And then came the protests.

When unrest followed the peaceful demonstrations and local businesses were damaged, hundreds of residents descended upon suburban downtowns with buckets and brooms to help with the cleanup.

And then came the artists.

When storefronts were boarded up, all that plywood became a canvas for an outpouring of creative expression. Messages and images of anger, sorrow, fear, and support blanketed our marred streetscapes, calling out injustice and exalting solidarity. The paper hearts and painted murals became a salve that imparted to passersby both healing and hope.

We could not have predicted the addition of this impromptu outdoor art in our cities, but we certainly have an appreciation of its impact. From Elgin to Elmhurst and many towns in between, art is all around us. We may not have taken enough time to stop and perceive its beauty and meaning in the past. But we have more reasons than ever to do so now.

Michelle Dellinger