Greektown Chicago Presents HELLO HELIOS — Preview

Posted on by Staff Writer

WHEN:

Thru April 30, 2022

WHERE:

Greektown Chicago
300 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60661

TICKETS:

Free

Greektown Chicago presents its new outdoor art exhibit Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown, with 24 three-dimensional artworks lining Halsted Street. These works are painted by a diverse group of Chicago artists and named for Helios, the god of the sun in Greek mythology. Many works in the exhibit draw inspiration from related mythologies, including those in Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese, and Native American cultures.

“Greece is a land of sun and water, with an average of 250 sunny days per year, and we are bringing some of that Mediterranean sunshine to Chicago,” says Greektown Arts Chair Commissioner Eve Moran.

Along with a group of Chicago artists, the following eight Chicagoland Greek schools are participating in the Hello Helios exhibit: St. George Greek Orthodox School, St. Demetrios SOLON Greek School, St John’s Guardian Angels Greek School, Plato Academy, Pythagoras Greek School, St. Demetrios Greek School, Koraes Elementary School, and Holy Wisdom Greek School.

Visit Greek Town Chicago for more information.

Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Our Healing Power by Rebecca Zaragoza Ancient cultures around the world celebrated the sun as the giver of energy and warmth for all living things. People, plants, and animals thrive because of its rays. The sun was of great importance to the ancient Aztecs and among their deities was the sun god “Tonatiuh.” One of the most renowned representations of Tonatiuh appears on the famous Aztec calendar stone or Sun Stone that was uncovered in 1790 and now resides in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Zaragoza’s interpretation celebrates the sun’s influence on time, life, and the human spirit
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Three Sisters by Le’Ana Asher Asher, a Native American Anishinaabe/Ojibwe artist from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, creates a visual narrative of the Three Sisters story found, in some form, among most every American Indian Nation. The plant sisters (corn, beans, squash or melon and sometimes a fourth sister, the sunflower) work together and in a natural way to provide healthy growth, long-term soil fertility and the essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. While each sister is different and unique, it's when they work together that they are at their strongest
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Sun and Moon by James McNeill Mesplé In this artwork, Helios (the Sun) is flanked by his two sisters, Eos (the Dawn) and Artemis (the Moon) as they follow each other in a perpetual procession across the sky. Inspiration for this artwork comes from an ancient Greek coin featuring Helios (400-333 B.C.) and the artist’s recent reading of Sunflowers, The Secret History by Joe Pappalardo. Further, a large statue of Artemis (the Moon) sits beside Mesplé’s desk at the back of his studio and served as his muse
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Medusa and the Sun by Vicky Tesmer On one side of the sculpture edition, Tesmer features Medusa, described in Greek mythology as having living snakes in place of hair. The myth goes that whoever looks at her will turn to stone. On the other side of her piece, Tesmer highlights the beauty of the Sun—god of light and life
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
A Neon Sun Sign by Victoria Martin Inspired by the idea of the sun being a rare G-2 Yellow-Green Star, Martin uses fluorescent yellow in this artwork. But, bowing to more traditional experience, the artist includes orange as this is the color most visible through the atmosphere during sunrise and sunset
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Aureole of Helios by Patricia Owsiany The classical Greeks considered Helios a minor god, but pulling his chariot from the East to the West every day is no minor feat. In this piece, Owsiany focuses on using hyper-warm colors to represents his aureole, which is the seat of his power. She styles the horses Helios used to reflect the sculpture and the paintings of the ancients
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Clytie by Miss Alex White The Greek word for sunflower is ηλιάνθου (heliánthou), from the words for sun and flower. Greek mythology tells the tale of how the sea nymph Clytie was transformed into the sunflower, or heliotrope, which continuously turns its head to look wistfully at Apollo’s chariot of the sun. The Clytie artwork blends colors of the sky and sea into a bold, stenciled work reminiscent of retro, botanical wallpaper
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Eye of Hours by Terry Poulos Poulos exhibits the concept of warped time at relativistic, luminal velocities through the imagery of a harmonic oscillating photon pendulum. Featured visual elements in his work include the light spectrum, melting clock, solar eclipse, a homage to Dali's "Persistence of Memory," a sun dial, Tower of the Winds, Stonehenge, Mayan calendar, Egyptian obelisk, solar deity Ra, Horus, Archimedes' "death ray" and a depiction of the ancient Helios statue
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Helios/Thalassa by Diane Thodos The two Greek words meaning “Sun/Sea” show the bond between these two things both in the ancient world and today. Thodos depicts fish, squid, and octopi inspired by Minoan murals and ceramics showing bountiful and lively sea life. The Mediterranean Sea and its life-giving force is inseparable from the bright Mediterranean sun, two of the most indelible forces that travelers seek out when visiting Greece today
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
The Journey of Sol by Tyrue Slang Jones Most of the historical poetical dramatists wrote of Apollo and Helios in reference to the Sun in Greek mythology. Jones, an internationally renowned graffiti artist, wanted to take a fresh new approach and create a visual story/storyboard of the God Helios as a Goddess named Sol which is the Roman equivalent for the Sun. Using traditional mythology and adding a contemporary twist in style, Jones tells his adaptation of the story
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
OSHUN by Malika Jackson Oshun is the goddess of love and abundance. Often seen as the Aphrodite of the Orishas, Oshun is called upon for guidance in love and desire and, as importantly, to support those who are going through a period of growth and transition
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Sun, Sun, Sun by Vasiliki Valkanas Science is constantly exploring the significance of the sun. Countless societies personify the sun in their mythology, tradition, and religion. And, in children's drawings, a smiling yellow sun is a constant character. In this piece, Valkanas captures the multitude of ways that the sun inspires people's imaginations, culture, and ideas
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Tower of the Son by Takashi Shallow The mother Amaterasu declared, "I am this child's sun." The father Helios proclaimed the same. The two argued. And while they argued, the disconnected spots of rouge turned to solid stripes. Soft cheeks turned to stone. The flares receded into a perfect circle. The baby wondered: "Why does the sun always fight with itself about where its ashes will go?"
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Helios over Rhodes by Kiki Whitehead Whitehead, a first generation Greek American, drew inspiration for her art piece from Helios (Helius), the Titan god of the sun, a guardian of oaths, and the god of sight. She explains that the worship of Helios was most important in Rhodes. This is the island Helios chose as his gift from Zeus. Greek mythology is one of Whitehead’s favorite subjects making this project a pleasure to work on
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
There are Many God in The Skies by Juan A. Cano Cano, a contemporary graffiti artist from Logan Square known for his “shattered glass” style, creates an artwork inspired by the continuation of life. He honors the spiritual beliefs and deities of different cultures that are brought together and reflected as heated light
Greektown Chicago HELLO HELIOS
Helios the Sun Shining in the Sky by Molly McGrath The inspiration for Molly’s art came from a dream she had about Helios, the Sun god, flying over Greektown on South Halsted Street, over the CTA Blue Line train station to Forest Park, the trains, train tracks and platform—and the CTA #8 bus stop on Halsted

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Images courtesy of Greektown Chicago

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