‘Waves of DuPage’ art project coming to McAninch Arts Center

The McAninch Arts Center will host “WAVES OF DUPAGE: Ukiyo-e Public Art Project,”sponsored by the College of DuPage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The project, which is a follow up to its Warhol-inspired DuPage Pop Art Challenge, will showcase large-scale, ukiyo-e style artwork depicting iconic locations throughout DuPage County.

Communities interested in having their locations featured can apply at TheCCMA.org/Hokusai-Partners. The initiative is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection,” which will be presented by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the MAC May 31 – Sept. 21.

Communities throughout DuPage County such as Lisle, Glen Ellyn, Naperville and Wheaton have signed on to participate in the public art project and will select an iconic location, building or landmark in their town that will be rendered into a ukiyo-e style mural, which will be displayed in highly visible locations throughout the community, such as an exterior wall or window.

Accomplished local artist and illustrator, Richard Lo, has been selected to design the murals, according to a news release.

Specializing in ukiyo-e art, Lo’s works can be seen across the City of Chicago. The Waves of DuPage public art project will be a unique way to highlight each village or town, attract visitors to the community, celebrate the arts and instill civic pride.

“We are immensely proud to be a part of a county that supports local arts and culture initiatives with support that allows us to produce this multi-faceted Hokusai exhibition,” MAC Director and Exhibition Director Diana Martinez said in the release. “The camaraderie and excitement these bi-annual exhibitions bring to the community is remarkable. The hundreds-of-thousands of visitors from across the globe will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in this unique and lively time in history, while being encouraged to explore DuPage County to discover what each town has to offer.”

The Public Art Project is just one way surrounding communities are embracing the exhibition.

Local businesses, restaurants, libraries, art galleries and more will infuse Hokusai’s culture into special events, programming, public art, offerings and more to celebrate this summer’s Hokusai exhibition. Community events include woodblock workshops and origami classes, topic lectures, restaurant menu items and more. Additional details about community programming will be announced at a later date.