Unveiling “Pride, Community, and History”

Howard Brown Health is excited to unveil a new community mural by artist David A. Geary (he/him/they/them). At over 27 feet tall and 240 feet wide, “Pride, Community, and History” pays homage to the intersectional future and history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. The space and installation for “Pride, Community, and History” were generously donated by Wintrust Bank.

We asked Geary to describe himself as an artist, and what the mural meant to him.

“As an artist I am moved by curiosity. Inspired by the process. One idea sparks the next. I allow myself the latitude to follow the path of connections between experiences along the way.”

In choosing the theme, pride, community, and history, Geary said that they want people to reflect on the essential ideas of community and history. Only by understanding the impact of community and history, can we truly “foster a sense of pride in one’s identity.”

Walking us through the design process, and Geary shared that he chose the specific images and colors by pulling the different variations of pride flags (the Progress Pride Flag, the intersex flag, and the bisexual flag, to name a few), while the figures represent the intergenerational nature of community.

“This mural is a beacon. It calls to the viewer to bask in and think on the concepts of history, community, and pride connected with the LGBTQ+ community.”

To find more of David A. Geary’s art, you can find several public works of theirs around the city of Chicago. They work in mediums of painting, printmaking, and design. See more of their work at DavidAnthonyArt.com and on social media channels @davidanthonyart.

The Pride mural will be visible near 1735 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 or from the Kennedy Expressway throughout June!