Gunshots were heard at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the 5200 block of West Pensacola Avenue in Portage Park, at about the same time a stolen vehicle was read story
New art sculpture installed in garden in Jefferson Park
by BRIAN NADIG
The “We Shall Defend” statue, weighing more than 6,000 pounds, is the centerpiece of the recently opened sculpture garden at 5374 W. Lawrence Ave. in Jefferson Park.
The statue was created by Vietnam War veteran Dr. Charles Smith and it pays tribute to Black Americans who lost their lives in service to their country. It also serves as a memorial to those who were killed while fighting for justice and equality in the Civil Rights Movement.
The man depicted in the statue holds “the flag of the promise of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream,” according to Smith.
The statue was transported from Smith’s work site in Louisiana to the Chicago Art Center’s garden, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Sunday, June 11.
An exhibit featuring the works of Smith is on display at the National Veterans Art Museum, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., which in late 2024 is scheduled to relocate to 5411 W. Higgins Ave., a former podiatry office located behind the garden.
The 84-year-old Smith attended the ceremony along with veterans art museum chairman Lionel Rabb, museum executive director Giselle Futrell, Ed Paschke Art Center co-founder Vesna Stelcer, Alderman Jim Gardiner (45th), state Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-19) and state Senator Robert Martwick (D-10).
Another piece of artwork in the garden pays tribute to the people of Ukraine, featuring the blue and yellow colors of their country’s flag and red for those killed during the Russian invasion.
The garden, which cost more than $50,000, is located on a parcel across from Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 N. Long Ave. Longterm plans call for the Chicago Art Center, which would include local museums, to be housed in a new structure on the site as part of the “North Side Cultural District.”
“This is about the essential mission of bringing publicly accessible art to our community. We are so appreciative of the overwhelming support we have received since first opening the Ed Paschke Art Center (at 5415 W. Higgins Ave.) in 2014, and are incredibly excited to be sharing Dr. Smith’s Art with our community, the city of Chicago and the world,” Rabb said.
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story. Skip every pop-up.
Get the full weekly edition delivered to your inbox — no interruptions, no waiting. Just local news the way it was meant to be read.
Only $19.50/year — less than 38¢ a week
Subscribe Now
This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.
The Latest From Our Community
by BRIAN NADIG About a dozen smash-and-grab-style commercial burglaries in Edgebrook, Jefferson Park and Portage Park were reported to have occurred early Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, in the 16th (Jefferson read story
by BRIAN NADIG At least nine smash-and-grab-style commercial burglaries in Edgebrook, Jefferson Park and Portage Park were reported to have occurred early Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, in the 16th (Jefferson read story
by BRIAN NADIG Violent offenses reportedly are down 34 percent on the CTA from a year ago as the agency targets a section of the Red Line where criminals are read story
Two men reported that a man fired shots at them at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the 5300 block of West Berteau Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police. A 25-year-old man reported that read story
The second annual “Sip and Shop” in “Jeff West” will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, running along Lawrence Avenue from Austin Avenue on the west and Major Avenue read story
Browse by Category
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story.
Skip every pop-up.
No pop-up ads — ever. Just stories, the way they were meant to be read
Full weekly edition delivered to your inbox every week — no waiting, no missing issues
Support local journalism and help keep our community connected
Only $19.50/year
That's less than 38¢ a week
Purchase Digital Subscription
Paypal
$19.50
/year
You can submit your payment via Paypal with a Credit Card. You DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.. Just click the “Paypal Subscribe” button below to iniate your secure payment! You will be directed to a Secure Paypal page in which you can pay with a Paypal account if you have one, or you can select "Pay with Debit or Credit Cardt" option below and process your payment via credit card.
Venmo
$19.50
/year
You can submit payment of $19.50 for a 1 year subscription to Nadig Newspapers' Venmo account using this link. Please include the email address in the comment/note section that you would like the digital subscription sent to.