DeKalb Seeks Artist Proposals for Lincoln Highway Mural

The City of DeKalb is seeking design ideas from local artists for a new mural at the eastern entrance to the downtown.

A Call for Artists has been released by the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission (CCEC) for the mural to be created on the east façade of the building on the northwest corner of East Lincoln Highway and Seventh Street.

This same façade was the site of another mural which celebrated DeKalb’s location along Lincoln Highway. Installed in 2006, the mural was part of a series commissioned by the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition to honor the country’s first transcontinental highway.

Unfortunately, the previous mural’s mounting recently fell from the wall, damaging the mural beyond repair. It had also become faded over its nearly 20-year life. Given this mural’s popularity and representation of an important part of DeKalb’s history, the CCE has incorporated the Lincoln Highway and its namesake, Abraham Lincoln, as themes for the new mural, the latest project in the City’s public arts program.

We’ve made great strides with our public arts program, and this project makes sure each side of our downtown continues to feature a vibrant mural celebrating the community, said Mayor Cohen Barnes.The talent of our local artists has been highlighted in so many of our projects, and I can’t wait to see their creative ideas for our next mural.

The Call for Artists, including more details on the project and the information artists should submit, can be found at cityofdekalb.com/1578/Call-for-Artists. Submissions are due by May 12, 2025.

Creation of the mural comes at an exciting time as the nation, Illinois and the City prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. As DeKalb

participates in the Illinois America 250 initiative, the CCEC will make the mural a cornerstone of the City’s activities honoring the nation’s cultural heritage, including its rich artistic history.

DeKalb has long embraced its presence and history as a community along the Lincoln Highway,” said CCEC Chair Brad Hoey. “Along with the mural, several markers, and a gazebo located in Kishwaukee Kiwanis Park at the corner of E. Lincoln Highway and South 11th Street, highlight the history of the “Father Road” and its impact on travel and culture in Illinois. The CCEC is excited about the opportunity to create an original work of public art that acknowledges DeKalb’s place in the story of the Lincoln Highway as part of our community’s celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday.

The mural will be the latest project in DeKalb’s reinvigorated public arts program, which has led to the creation of the Belonging mural on City Hall, the DeKalb Veterans Memorial Mural overlooking Van Buer Plaza, the Huskie Pride mural along Annie Glidden Road and 11 utility box murals. These projects were funded through a T-Mobile Hometown Grant awarded for public art. A National Endowment for the Arts grant will be sought to fund a portion of this latest mural, and the City also receives support from the Illinois Arts Council.