1st Place Prize Winner

Awarded $300

Alexandra Antoine

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '14

My mural is broken down into three sections. The top section focuses on events in recent U.S. history that deal with injustice, including: the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, what students are learning in classrooms now about justice, our criminal justice system, and even our military wars overseas.

The middle section is a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, but all of the men around him are dressed in hoodies in reference to Trayvon Martin.

The bottom section focuses on the injustices around the world. I've included depictions of the famine in Sudan, the uprising in Egypt, the Isreali conflict, etc. The idea is to include injustices in other countries outside the U.S.

2nd Place Prize Winner

Awarded $200

Bruce Wilson

Harold Washington College, '13

My thoughts for approaching this mural were driven by today's society and how it reflects Dr. King's concepts, what he would have disapproved of and what he spent his entire life fighting for. Today, I'm sadly touched by violence and its relationship with mental illness. Recently, America has been touched by a vast spread of violence in our school system, where the lives of innocent teens and children have been claimed. These shootings were carried out by young individuals who have reached uncontrollable mental states that have sparked their outrages. These are individuals who require psychiatric treatment and prescribed medicines. For some Americans, both normal and abnormal, obtaining medical care is impossible. This is an example of what may happen when certain issues go untreated. There's nothing more important in our world than medical care and education. Both President Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr. share the same interest in education and medical care. I truly believe that Dr. King would be proud to see his task being handed over to President Obama. Dr. King can rest assure that, in fact, America can "take the first step in faith." You do not have to see the whole staircase, just the first step. I believe America has taken its first step and these issues will be addressed and overcome. The first step will be assistance and equality.

3rd Place Prize Winner

Awarded $100

Chanel C. Thomas

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '13 

As I entered into my third year of college, I had an opportunity to take up a course called "Doing Democracy." I learned a lot about America's social, political, and economic issues being the result of a corrupt educational system. American education has become a primary tool for economic growth alone, and this has led us to fall short of our humanity. We no longer can think critically and democratically because we lack vulnerability and compassion for one another. Proper education that allows critical thinking and a focus on the arts and humanities aloows youth to develop into "complete citizens." These citizens can think for themselves while understanding others' lives and achievements. The consideration of others alone will be a primary promoter of a socially just society, but this can only be possible if we stop directing so much of our attention towards the pursuit of profit. Education is such a powerful force and tool, but is so undermined, abused and taken for granted. We as people need to re-evaluate our priorities and realize that we must learn to understand how to be human: to actually think humanely and act in a humane manner. My mural is a portrayal of my desire to properly education our youth and start them on the right path. This idea of social justice that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought to achieve will inevitably thrive if we allow for an opportunity to actually learn how to understand one another's situations and needs. We also must understand that education does not take place in school systems alone, but is also a factor in the youth's family / guardian and community involvement. These environments shape the character of our youth and their future dispositions as citizens. I only hope we can reject self-centered thoughts that lead to the notions of profit, supremacy, and an overall lack of justice when we take part in educating.

Ector Garcia

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '13

My mural features large text at the top in Spanish that read "La Lucha Sigue," in English, "The Struggle Continues." I feel that since Martin Luther King, Jr., a lot has changed as far as civil rights for people of color, but even today we still encounter racism and prejudice.  depict Gandhi, Nina Simone, Martin Luther King, Jr., Black Panther, Tommie Smith, and Angela Davis. These figures for me have all fought and left a legacy of pride and resistance to injustices.

Annie K. Gerlofs

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '14

My Mural is a reflection of our history as a nation through portraits and text, but also a challenge for us to continue striving for what is right. I have included portraits of MLK and Corenel West, but also chose to include an image of myself. We are all responsible for bringing about change, and I am no exception.

I have included a great deal of symbolism to reinforce my ideas, such as a tree for growth and edification, and the raised first for ideas such as unity and solidarity as well as resistance to the norms.

The overall theme of ornate frames upon a wall is intended to give perspective to the often broad approaches to this topic, as well as to memorialize particular parts of the past, present and future. Social justice is something to be sought out daily and should never be considered beyond our grasp.

Dasol Hong

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '16

Thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr. and people involved in the Civil Rights movement, we live in a more equal society than the past. However, racial discrimination is still entrenched in our society, as well as in various countries. The consistent effort to treat each person as an individual with rights and to accept everyone as an equal regardless of color or race will be a way to overbome racism.

I was inspired by a sentence from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

He showed the world the strength of his desire for civil rights through this sentence. Therefore, I use a book as a metaphor for a human. These bookshelves are full of books with many different languages, stories, colors or appearances - like our society. Through my work, I want to represent my hope that one day every people, society and country are not judged by their covers.

Hea Won Jeon

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '16 

One day I was at the Walgreens, passing by its makeup section. There were different colors of foundations with the same price. I felt like that was what Dr. King was fighting for. Even though each individual's skin color is different, their value is the same.

Once Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the fact that he could not attend the same school with his best friend because they had different skin colors, he started to realize the inequality between white and black. Later, he fought for civil rights, beliveing every single person should be treated equally no matter what his or her skin color is.

It is undeniable that Dr. King fought hard for civil rights. However, I doubt that there is no racism in our society. As Dr. King said, "Until justice rolls down like waters." We all should respect difference, because we all deserve to be equal.

SeungEun Lee

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '15 

The aim of a mural is to decorate the wall aesthetically and simultaneously to introduce the spirituality from one historically significant event. The mural painted in Hostelling International is also to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, respecting his contribution to the Civil Rights movement, which protested racial segregation. MLK Day might superficially celebrate the achievements of one main representative figure, Dr. King, but the sacrifices of the invisible public, who have not been spotlighted, are also included. Hostelling International is a perfect context to represent this, because of its cross-cultural accessibility. The numerous cultures of the visitors have mingled, possessing the potentiality of cultural conflict or confusion. This complicated space is proper to realize the spirituality of MLK Day: openness to the difference. The imageries of a clenched fist, the candles and an unpainted figure from the mural visualize the devotion to freedom transcended from any conditions and the power of the public. A clenched fist is a symbol of black power movement. A candle is a symbol of nonviolent activisim and a medium of connecting the past and the present. The three sentences from Dr. King's famous 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream," expressing the aspiration to the enhancement of rights, form the smoke. As long as the candle burns and the smoke reaches out to the world as far as they can, the spirit of the Civil Rights movement, which has constructed today's America, will remain continuously. The seemingly-Dr. King but anonymous figure in the flame reveals the world beyond the glass and shows the faces of ordinary people. That those faces fit into the empy face of the unpainted figure shows that anyone can change the conceptions of equality and freedom, and realize the spirit of MLK Day. 

Jiae Park

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '14

While painting the mural, I have deeply considered segregation and discrimination in American history. Speaking as a foreigner, it is found not only in America with African Americans, but it could exist anywhere between individuals, societies, and nations. So far, since I have been very interested in the subjects of humans, rights, and struggles, this opportunity gives me a particular inspriation.

For Martin Luther King, Jr., children were a symbol of the future because they will live tomorrow based on what the generation before creates. Thanks to their struggles toward liberty and equality, children and the next generation can inherit a better nation. MLK believed in the power of love and the challenge of honest dreams. He led people and fought with them against irrationality in non-violent ways. As he chose the peaceful ways to protest, the massive shocks during the fight and changes could be minimized. Finally, they go their rights, though those were not complete.

In this context, I would like to represent his dream based on pacifism and non-violent ways of resistance. By doing so, I want people to remember his achievement and then, to realize our obligations. His dream came true like water, which is rolling down and then being horizontally formed. Step by step, after 50, not only their descendants but also everyone in this world can live in the better place. Furthermore, we have to be in charge of making an effort to continue to break irrationalities for the next generation beyond racial segregation.

Jung Hoon Park

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '15

I tried to use the three divided frames of the window. I saw the three sections as different parts as well as one. I wanted to represent three roles of Martin Luther King, Jr.: a preacher, a leader and an educator. However, I also wanted to bind the three sections with the image of Dr. King. Including abstract images on the three sections, I wanted viewers to draw their own interpretation in addition to a preacher, a leader and an educator. I did not want to represent a serious atmosphere but rather a child-like idea by using high saturation.

Seongui Park

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '16

The Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous lecture for the Black community's freedom was a most influential lecutre that led many people to find the courage to fight for their rights. I wanted to speak about world peace that he made and his contributation to society and greatness as an individual.

Wendy Robles

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '16

For this project I wanted to incorporate the essence of Martin Luther King, Jr. as aman who was in search of unity in a peaceful way. What Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting for was not only justice for the Black community, but for the end of all discriminations. Currently, there is still discrimination based on religion, race, color and gender, both locally and globally. What I want this project to stand for is the essence of Dr. King calling out for peace and an end to discriminiation. The colors of black and white come together to create a pixilated image of MLK, an image of a man in search for peace and unity. Although black and white may symbolize the issue of segreation between the Afriacan American community and the White community, this piece is meant to say so much more than that. i want the black and white not to just symbolize the discrimination of race or color but rather the overall discrimination that happens, on a different level, but still exists in the community. On the top of the mural you will see the word "community" with an emphasis on "unity" which is both reflecting the multicultural and diverse community created in the hostel building as well as that in Chicago, and calling out for unity among ourselves.

Yejin So

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '16

I highly appreciate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s achievement and hard work. I respect him as a person who tried to speak for social justice and the equality of people without regard to one's nationality. Although it is an old saying, we are living in a cold-hearted society. From my point of view, the wide disparity between rich and poor is a serious social problem. It is no secret that the U.S. middle class is shrinking and poverty is increasing due to job insecurity. Many people flock into cities and many cities suffer from a shortage of housing and a rise in crim. Also, these problems target low-income people or even homeless people. In the process of preparing the murals, I learned an interesting fact: MLK struggled to demand equal rights for minorities in America. However, despite his effort, income inequality in the United States still exists. Rich people have more than one house and are able to buy all that they want, whereas many homeless people do not even have shelter. It may not be surprising to others, but it was shocking to me. This phenomenon is undoubtedly horrendous and certainly deserves much more attention from the community. I hope my mural is useful and attracts people's attention to the ongoing problem. 

Ningchunxiao Xu

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, '14

Human beings have tremendouc power to create and shape the world around us. In the world we live in there are many people with different cultures and experiences. And because of this diversity within us, it makes our world a much richer and more interesting place. Through my mural I want to address the diversity of humankind as well as equal rights among people. no matter what you look like, where you are from, everyone has the pwoer to crate love, kindness and peace. Although there is still a lot of evilness and inequality in our society, we should never give up hope to change this situation. Imagine if everyone can just give a little bit more love to others, it will be an enormous change for the entire planet. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a powerful energy to gather people with his words. I was inspired by one of his speeches: "I have a dream." I represented figures with different ethnicities at the bottom panel and left one blank, which allows viewers to see themselves as that figure in the mural. Throughout my painting, I utlize the power of words and integrate them with imagery that evokes our own dreams of spreading love and creating peace.