New artwork beautifies the station’s Peoria entrance, enhancing the travel experience for not only transit riders, but also drivers passing by on expressway
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) partners with University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) alumnus and world-renowned artist Tom Friedman for newest artwork now on display at the UIC-Halsted Blue Line station that will have travelers talking about, if not craving take-out food.
The sculpture, known as Takeaway, depicts Hermes, the Messenger of Greek Mythology, in a running pose balancing a stack of restaurant carry-out boxes on his head—a nod to modern living.
“With each new work of art added to CTA’s collection of public art, lies an opportunity for us to either tell a story, share a glimpse into the surrounding community and even enhance once’s travel on public transit,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This fun, new sculpture will no doubt make our riders’ trips more memorable as they visit the neighboring Greektown and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) campus.”
Fabricated in stainless steel and installed on a high pedestal, the new artwork will be seen not only by users of the UIC-Halsted station’s Peoria Street entrance, but by others from far away, including the nearby UIC campus, as well as drivers passing by on the Eisenhower Expressway below.
Artist Friedman describes Hermes—the lightning-fast god of communication, humor, and travel— as young, innocent and graceful but also charming and mischievous, like a teenager. The carry-out boxes on Hermes’ head represent the Herma, the ancient form of stacked stones, left as messages for travelers at the juncture of two roads. The Herma is a shrine to Hermes, to protect travelers, on the move as he always was. This aligns with all the passengers traveling through the station.
Funding for this project was awarded to CTA through a Zoning Bonus provision through the City's Planned Development process from adjacent real estate developments. These funds are limited in project area and use that commits funding for Transit related projects in exchange for various zoning bonuses. The artist’s contract was $600,000 for the design, engineering, materials & fabrication, artist fee and insurance. CTA staff installed the sculpture along with the integrated pedestal at the Peoria Street pedestrian bridge.
CTA’s collection of public art has nearly doubled over the last decade to include roughly 90 permanent works of art and dozens of temporary art installations across all eight rail lines and multiple bus facilities. This dynamic and immersive collection of public art includes mosaics, art glass, sculptures and interactive installations created by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, many of whom are local.
For more details on CTA’s public art collection, visit transitchicago.com/art.
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About the artist:
Tom Friedman / UIC-Halsted Blue Line
Tom Friedman (b. 1965 St Louis, MO) is an internationally acclaimed artist known for conceptual art and public sculpture; and his precise and unexpected use of a variety of materials. He is a most distinguished alumnus of the UIC School of Art & Architecture having earned a Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in Sculpture, 1990. Tom Friedman is a member of the Graduate Faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst. His artwork has been exhibited and is in collections of museums worldwide.