'Envision Englewood' Pop-Up Event Seeks To Bring Beauty And Healing To Known Hotspot For Violence
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was an afternoon of family-friendly art and activities in Englewood on Saturday, as neighbors sought to transform an abandoned lot that has turned into magnet for violence.
Envision Englewood offered games for kids, lots of fun art projects, and the unveiling of a community mural on an abandoned building at the corner of 66th and Halsted streets; all part of a free pop-up event hosted by the Englewood Arts Collective and the Residents Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.).
Organizers said their neighborhood needs more beauty and healing, and the best way to do it is together.
"This is a symbolic corner. We know that 16 people lost their lives here. This area is a known hotspot on 66th and Halsted," R.A.G.E. president and co-founder Asiaha Butler said. "Actually there was a shooting yesterday. So we just want to change the vibe, change the energy a little bit, and celebrate life, and love, and art, and everything else."
The artists and helpers at the event are Englewood residents committed to enriching their neighborhood.
Butler said there's a collection of talent in the community that everyone should know.