MLK Mural Series, Part 5

This is the fifth part in a series in which we are highlighting entries from our 6th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition. Student artists in the Chicago area were selected for the Competition based on their current portfolios. Congratulations to all our 2012 Competition participants! Come take a look and maybe even get inspired to enter the competition yourself next year!

Elcin Marasli

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '13 

"My project consists of multiple hand drawings in various expressive states, symbolizing the sufferings, hope and victory of a "handful of society" or "hands of the people" coming together for the progress and maintenance of justice. The overall mural is a symbolic, decorative and abstract form revealing a homogenous single drop of water at large, overlaid with drawings of hands in black, uniform stroke. When the morning sun directly hits the window, the animated brush strokes allow for a playful reflection of changing tones of the color blue. The labor-intensive layering of brush strokes also indicates the historical progression in the fight for justice as a timely endeavor.

The composition is divided into three sections, as is the actual phyical window surface. The bottom part includes a large-scale drawing of Martin Luther King's hands connected in wishful position (note King's ring to identify). King's person endeavor in fighting for justice and equality is depicted in the expressivity of his hand gesture as a symbolic outreach from the personal to the public, where he lays ground for the fight for justice with his own hands, and opens it up for people to enliven his dream. The second (middle) section of the mural includes smaller-scale hands in giving and taking positions, representing society at large opening up to King's ideas and taking them in. Finally, the third and top part of the mural consists of small-scale hands in positions of victory and strength, in this case closed fists, portraying justice at it's victorious state.

In changing scale from small at the top to larger at the bottom, the image imitates a flowing motion of water, or a big drop / splash of water from the source to the basin. There are no power relations involved in the flow of justice. King is not only a giver but also a receiver, and the public at large is equally a source of opinions constantly flowing, in and out of King's foundational basis, enlivening and transforming it. This is also to suggest that that "justice case roll like water" only in an environment of mutual exchange of ideas and understanding between King and sociey at large, with an equal strive for equal rights to each member of the society, a homogenous and uniform coexistence."

Ji Ha Park
School of the Art Institute of Chicago

"We are basically different. We have different skin color, gender, ethnicity, age and so on. We also live in different situations in this world. However, we are all the same human beings. There is no question. However, in reality we still discriminate against the visible differences. Nevertheless, I believe that it can be changed little by little. My message of this painting is "hope." We should not forget the message by Dr. King, all beings are equal, the same."

*The murals are on display through March at Hostelling International Chicago, 24 East Congress Parkway. The exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing between 9am and 9pm, seven days a week. Check out our website for more information and the complete gallery! Don't forget to check out part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 of the series, and have a lovely Leap Day!

Traveler Spotlight: Angie

This afternoon I bumped into Angie looking at one of the information boards in the hostel and asked her if she'd like to be interviewed for the Traveler Spotlight today. I'm so glad I bumped into Angie because I really enjoyed getting to know her and her story.

Angie is originally from Colorado but is currently living in Hawaii for her job with a Christian based international volunteer organization called Youth With a Mission. With the organization Angie has traveled to numerous countries including Thailand, Philippines, and South Africa. She recently was at a program in Toronto, Canada and decided to stop in Chicago before heading home to see her family and friends in Colorado for the first time in over two years.

She told me one of the main reasons why she wanted to visit Chicago was to attend a performance at the Joffrey Ballet. She saw their current production "Winter Fire" and was very impressed with the dance skills of the performers. Tonight she has plans to go to Buddy Guy's Legends Blues Club and tomorrow wants to check out the Old Town School of Folk Music in one of the neighborhoods of Chicago.

Angie also explained that she's stayed in numerous hostels throughout her travels and found HI-Chicago to be very impressive. She enjoyed meeting fellow travelers in the lounge, the information posted around the hostel with suggestions of fun things to do in the area, and our MLK Mural Competition still on display.

We wish you safe travels home and hope you enjoy your time with family and friends!

Interview by Kim Pitingolo

Martin Luther King Jr. Mural Series, Part 4!

This is the fourth part in a series in which we are highlighting entries from our 6th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition. Student artists in the Chicago area were selected for the Competition based on their current portfolios. Congratulations to all our 2012 Competition participants! Come take a look and maybe even get inspired to enter the competition yourself next year!

Jacqueline Renee Friedberg

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '12

"We all have dreams. When we work together, we can make these dreams reality. This statement has been proven through the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his followers. His words can still be heard and the actions we take today can still result in civil justice."

Ahyun Kim

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '12 

"Water gives life to every living being. It spreads to all directions and reaches to every life form without any discrimination. This relationship between water and life resembles the strong will of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his influence on human rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. constantly worked for civil rights and never stopped. His incredibly hard work reaches to individuals all over the world today and even to the future. I wanted to emphasize these great influences of Martin Luther King, Jr. by painting him making a big stream. Finally, the mighty stream bonds everyone together as a whole."

*The murals are on display through March at Hostelling International Chicago, 24 East Congress Parkway. The exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing between 9am and 9pm, seven days a week. Check out our website for more information and the complete gallery! Don't forget to check out part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the series, and have a lovely Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday!

Traveler Spotlight: Hank

This afternoon I stumbled upon Hank making tea in the hostel dining room and thought he would be perfect to chat with for the Traveler Spotlight. 

Hank is from Seoul, South Korea and will be spending a total of three weeks traveling around the US. So far he has been to New York City, Niagara Falls, and Chicago and is heading to Denver, Colorado tomorrow. He told me that he likes Chicago very much and especially enjoyed his visit to the John Hancock building where he was able to drink a Chicago-style martini in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor.

Hank told me that he loves tea culture and that's exactly why he chose to bring his special tea pot with him on his travels. After he showed me the intricate tea-making process, I was lucky enough to have a cup of Hank's woorong tea. He told me this is a very special, high quality Taiwanese tea that is very popular throughout Asia. It is said to lower your cholesterol, cleanse your body, and keep you slim (sounds good to me!). Thanks for the tea Hank! Happy travels and thanks for stopping in Chicago on your adventure.

Interview by Kim Pitingolo

Martin Luther King Murals, Continued!

This is the third part in a series in which we are highlighting entries from our 6th annual Martin Luther King Mural Competition. Student artists in the Chicago area were selected for the Competition based on their current portfolios. Congratulation to all our 2012 Competition participants! Come take a look and maybe even get inspired to enter the competition yourself next year!

Skech 185 / Willie MacIntyre & Louder Than A Bomb Poets
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s well-known phrase - "until justice rolls down like waters" - has the same rhetorical power as it did August 28, 1963, but the words themselves sound different after more than 50 years, especially when spoken from the mouths of Chicago's young people. Today, Chicago is known as the most racially segregated city in the United States. Chicago Speaks presents the sounds of a segregated city in conversation. We are asking, "what does integration sound like?"

This mural project is a fusion of Chicago-based histories in poetry and imagery from Louder Than A Bomb poets to explore the conflation of integration and diversity. As a text based mural, coupled with images of Chicago's youth, the work is similar to a 21st Century Greek Chourus resounding in multi-voice narratives. This is what Chicago sounds like!

Seonjoo Cho, nighttime photo of artwork

Seonjoo Cho, daytime photo of artwork

Seonjoo Cho

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '13
"We need both white and black keys to make music. That is the reason for coexistence."

*The murals are on display through March at Hostelling International Chicago, 24 East Congress Parkway. The exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing between 9am and 9pm, seven days a week. Check out our website for more information and the complete gallery! Don't forget to check out part 1 and part 2 of the series, and have a lovely Valentine's Day!

Traveler Spotlight: Johnny & Ed

This morning during breakfast, I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny and Ed - two very interesting fellows from the UK.

Johnny and Ed are old friends from university and have been exploring Chicago together for the past week. Johnny is currently on a five month sabbatical and has already visited Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, New York City, and Chicago is his last and final stop on his trip before returning back to his job in Wales at the end of this week. Ed, on the other hand, took a week off work from his job in London to visit Chicago and meet up with Johnny.

They were drawn to Chicago because many of their friends from the UK who previously visited just raved about the city so they were curious to see it for themselves. Since they’re at the very end of their trip (and budgets) they’ve been finding free and cheap things to do around Chicago. So far they’ve visited the Art Institute of Chicago, Improv Olympics comedy show, and Buddy Guy’s Legends Blues Club. Today they’re planning to check out the Museum of Contemporary Photography, attend another improv show, and eat more Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Have fun! 

Interview by Kim Pitingolo

Fun Photo Adventure Through Chicago

Erica Ferrone, a well-known photographer makes a trip to Chicago with some friends for a fun weekend, and, naturally, documents with some great pictures!

Check them out here!

Traveler Spotlight: Gustavo

As I was wandering around breakfast at the hostel this morning, trying to snag a cup of free coffee, I noticed Gustavo sitting quietly at a table by himself. He was one of the few hostelers enjoying breakfast without a laptop in front of him, and I took this as an invitation to interrupt his solace for a quick Traveler Spotlight interview.

Originally from Brazil, Gustavo is currently traveling for about a month and a half through the US to audition for a place in a music academy. I know -- he's Brazilian, he has great hair, and he's a musician? Almost too good to be true. He'll be here for another week or so, ladies.

So far he has wandered around Millennium Park, taken a look at his reflection in the Bean, and checked out some of the many theaters scattered throughout the downtown area. He seems unfazed by the cold weather and eager to keep exploring. He told me that he's hoping to sneak a peek inside the famous Chicago Theatre on State Street -- who knows, maybe he'll even get to perform there someday? He has an audition on Saturday for a place at Roosevelt University, and then he's off to the next city and the next audition. After that, it's back to Brazil to play the waiting game until May, which is when he should start hearing back from the universities. Good luck, Gustavo!


Interview by Jackie DesForges

MLK Mural Exhibition

Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Exhibition at HI Chicago

The exhibition is open now though March.

“The threads that I drew with icing are reminiscent of individuals in society and the colors of thread represent various races. One small thread cannot weave an entire cloth. And it is impossible to weave a cloth with tangled threads. We must learn to appreciate and incorporate all the different threads in order to weave a beautiful cloth.” Third prize winner Ellie Jung.

This piece is a collaborative production by the youth and mentors from the nonprofit organization, Connect Force. Dr Martin Luther King. The piece depicts phrases chosen by the students such as, “Action for the community,” “We the People,” Push the movement” and “For a better world.”Connect Force Alternatives, Inc.

Caring for the Environment

Greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside have been a part of Hostelling International’s worldwide mission statement since 1932. And since its construction in 2000, Hostelling International Chicago has worked to lessen its impact on the environment. We rehabilitated a mostly vacant building in Chicago’s central business district and prevented it from being demolished and thrown into a landfill. Green technologies available in 2000 were used to lessen energy consumption and encourage recycling by travelers. Now after 11 years of operation, we are taking a fresh look at what it means to be a sustainable organization. Sustainability is broader than only caring for the environment. We now include caring for people, caring for the environment, and maintaining our financial health as the three necessary parts to being sustainable.

With respect to environmental responsibility, HI-Chicago is taking a more critical look at the impact that we make on our planet and sharpening our efforts to further green the hostel. An important part of this renewed focus is to listen to you, the travelers. We know that care for the environment is important for you as well, so we encourage you to come alongside us and join our efforts to be kinder to the earth.

Right now HI-Chicago is conducting an internal audit to assess its energy consumption and waste management relative to other hostels and hotels. One immediate goal is to improve recycling in all areas: guest rooms, kitchen, common rooms and offices. In addition, current and emerging technologies and strategies will be reviewed for their applicability to reducing energy and water consumption.

HI-Chicago has many colleagues around the world in Hostelling International that are also looking at sustainability in this broader view of environmental responsibility, plus social responsibility joined with financial performance. We are excited to be a part of an emerging, virtual, sustainability team alongside our friends at the Reykjavik hostels in Iceland, leading environmentally-friendly hostels. More than that, we are eager to make HI-Chicago a place where guests and staff make eco-friendly choices every day!