This spring, Oak Park nonprofit Beyond Hunger announced its purchase of 6209 W. North Ave., sharing plans for transforming a vacant grocery store into a modern, client-centered and permanent headquarters in order to advance its nearly 50-year mission of ending local hunger.
While construction to transform the 600-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art food pantry and community hub is not expected to be completed until next year, young artists from the Oak Park Area Arts Council (OPAAC) Off the Wall program have also been hard at work this summer. They used their talents to transform an ordinary exterior brick wall at the location into a vibrant, five-panel mosaic display celebrating exactly what Beyond Hunger is all about — neighbors gathering resources, skills and compassion to build a stronger community for everyone.
Ten local artists, ages 16 to 22, oversaw the project titled “Gathering Together.” The artists dedicated their finished work on Saturday, Aug. 1.
The theme for the murals emerged from the group’s wish to create a visual narrative of how Beyond Hunger reaches everyone from all diverse corners of Oak Park and its neighboring communities, from volunteers and students to elders and families.
With visuals showcasing local community gardens, the collection and distribution of harvests, the blending of diverse ingredients, cultures and talents, and fellowship over shared meals, “Gathering Together” represents a celebration of neighbors gathering their abilities to build a stronger, more self-sustaining community where everyone can thrive.
The opportunity for collaboration began with a request from The North Avenue Business District, inquiring if Beyond Hunger was interested in having outdoor artwork displayed as part of recently-secured grants and a call for beautification of the business corridor.
Jennie Hull, CEO of Beyond Hunger, said the nonprofit was thrilled with how the murals turned out, capturing the story of how food comes to the pantry, how volunteers help source and distribute food and how people finally get to enjoy their food.
“Our new location is meant to be a home for the community,” she said. “The mural done by folks in the community — to brighten up the community — will hopefully contribute to our space being welcoming and inclusive to all of our neighbors. We know with increased capacity, we will be able to serve folks with even more dignity and respect [and] be better equipped to meet the increased need and expand our culinary nutrition programming as well.”
Overseeing the student artwork was longtime Off the Wall leader and master artist Carolyn Elaine — her final project following 21 years since she helped co-create the program.
“‘Gathering Together’ tells the story of nourishment from seed to table,” she said. “It highlights the many important roles that people can play to help ensure food security in our communities. It was important to Beyond Hunger that the imagery reflect the diversity of all the communities they serve. We had a very diverse group of apprentices, and they thoughtfully addressed the concerns regarding representation by drawing from both the clients feedback and their own lived experience growing up in Oak Park.”
Elaine added that in the past two decades of Off the Wall leadership, she has enjoyed seeing how the students flourish and step into leadership roles, training the next generation of artists.
“We’ve always held slots for those returning from college who need summer employment,” Elaine said. “Often, I challenge specific people to take on responsibilities that I know will stretch them beyond their comfort level. It is truly gratifying to witness them grow in a new medium as well as in their communication and organization skills — it builds their confidence to lead and take on new things.”
Indigo Field, an Oak Park resident, was one of the artists involved in the mural. A 2025 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, she returned to Off the Wall for a second year before beginning her sophomore year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she’s majoring in textile and material studies.
“As a student passionate about the arts, I truly appreciate the guidance of my high school art teachers and the incredible artists at Off the Wall,” she said. “Mosaic is a really unique medium outside of the mainstream fine arts course of painting, drawing, etcetera, so learning how to create with it was super cool.”
A fellow Oak Park resident and 2025 OPRF graduate, Kaspian Murray was also part of the mural creation with Off the Wall. A sophomore at University of Cincinnati majoring in industrial design, Murray has participated in the program for four years.
“It means a lot to have our artwork permanently displayed at Beyond Hunger’s new headquarters,” he said. “It’s rare for young artists — some of us still in high school, others like me who did the program in high school and are now in college — to collaborate on a piece this large: five five-by-seven foot panels, totaling over 175 square feet. We worked with a master mosaicist and learned a medium that isn’t widely taught, and we were even paid for our work. Having a lasting piece of that experience on permanent display feels incredible.”
For Field, having her artwork permanently displayed in Oak Park is something deeply meaningful.
“Having vibrant artwork around Oak Park shapes our sense of community — it encourages people to approach the neighborhood in a more social sense, bringing together different generations,” she said. “Public artwork is not only for a purely aesthetic cause, but it reflects our values in this current moment. For me, I hope the aspects of the mosaic I worked on can bring joy to the volunteers and community.”
Elaine added that public art displays throughout the village, like the new Beyond Hunger murals, add to the colorful spirit of Oak Park.
“I think that the public art in Oak Park is one of the things that really contributes to the welcoming feel and character of the community,” she said. “The murals, sculptures and mosaics add color and vibrancy.”
Without public art, Murray says, public spaces would otherwise feel “dry and colorless.”
“Public art is important not just for Oak Park, but for every community,” he said. “Art brings people together and gives a community a shared identity. It’s also a powerful form of self-expression, and having a piece this large and visible in Oak Park shows how we, as a community, express our collective feelings and values.”