A well-known attendee and speaker at public meetings, George Blakemore has a long-standing reputation as a person who speaks his mind in civic matters.
Less known is the fact that Blakemore is an Arte Agora artist who regularly offers his work in Lincoln Park on North Avenue between State & Dearborn, at the promenade in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Here’s a look at his canvas paintings, captured on a sunny day in May 2024:
Blakemore’s style is textured drip paintings on reclaimed commercial canvases. Here’s some pieces:
Here’s a side view of the above piece, showing that it is a repurposed Hannah Montana canvas from Disney:
Here’s an image of George Blakely taken on May 24, 2024. Free to use, with attribution to Daniel X. O’Neil, Creative Commons 4.0:
Bonus track: 2.5 minute speech by George Blakmore expressing surprise and hallelujahs while federal agents searched the second floor City Hall offices of Alderperson Ed Burke, Chair of the Committee on Finance, on November 29, 2018.
Bonus #2: photo of George Blakemore on Clark Street in front of City Hall on December 9, 2015 during protests about the murder of Laquan McDonald (original image here).
Art is everywhere if you let it.