Rafael Blanco: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art

The Elmhurst Art Museum presents the first solo museum exhibition of muralist Rafael Blanco, whose work can be found in cities from California to Maryland breathing new life into high-visibility, urban spaces. Through photographs, video timelapses, documentary footage, and a series of new, original paintings, the exhibition will introduce the viewer to Blanco’s revelatory artistic journey. A highlight of the exhibition is large-scale, site-specific works transforming the museum’s galleries into a landscape filled with color, texture, and the serendipity of discovering public art in the wild. For this exhibition, Blanco resurrects previously rejected public art proposals, allowing the public to see them for the first time. Rafael Blanco: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art takes place at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue, from September 7, 2024 to January 5, 2025.

Interim Director of the Elmhurst Art Museum Ann Quinn Kelly says, “The Elmhurst Art Museum is overjoyed to feature Rafael Blanco in our fall exhibition. The new large-scale works that Rafael has created for this exhibition are engaging in subject and gorgeous in execution. The exhibition also shares Rafael's journey, as he pivoted from studio to public art and concentrated on that practice. Here, Rafael inspires us with his focus on identity, culture, community engagement, and the resilience of his artistic vision.”

Born in Spain and based in Aurora, Illinois, Blanco’s work is deeply influenced by his immigrant experience and the beauty of embracing a new country while maintaining one’s own identity. In collaboration with local youth, Blanco extends this pride in the galleries by incorporating over one hundred self-portraits painted by area students into the shape of the US flag. The collaboration is intended to encourage youth to embrace and be inspired by their own identities and cultures.

The exhibition will feature a map showcasing the locations of Blanco’s works across the US. Near the museum, Blanco’s 32’ x 190’ -foot mural declaring “Be Bold” is on the wall of Elmhurst University’s R.A. Fagnel Hall, facing north on Park Avenue west of Prospect Avenue. The first mural in the city of Elmhurst, Be Bold serves as both inspiration and call to action.

While Blanco’s colorful works are celebrated across the country, the exhibition also features new realizations of projects that had previously been rejected. A series of programs for families, creatives, and the general public will explore more in-depth themes of the exhibition, including how Blanco uses adversity to empower his work as an artist and to imagine new visions for his work.

Rafael Blanco says, “For the past ten years I have been ditching the studio, transforming walls, and creating site specific murals all over the country. The exhibition’s new ‘canvas/murals’ commemorate the designs that, at some point, were rejected during my trajectory as a muralist, and therefore never painted. My purpose is to visually impact, confront, and surprise the museum visitors by creating art that blends the nuances of street art with classical studio techniques.”

In Spanish, “Por los últimos diez años he estado dejando el estudio, transformando muros, y creando murales a gran escala por todo el país Estos nuevos trabajos, "lienzos/murales" conmemoran los diseños que, en algún punto de mi trayectoria como muralista, fueron rechazados, y como resultado, nunca fueron pintados. Mi objetivo es visualmente impactar, confrontar, y sorprender al visitante a través de una obra que mezcla los ultimos estilos del arte urbano y las técnicas clásicas de estudio.”

With gratitude to exhibition Presenting Sponsor: Wintrust Bank, with support from Tom Watson and Mary Cunningham Family Charitable Fund, Illinois Arts Council, Discover DuPage, and Enjoy Illinois.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Rafael Blanco Opening Reception

Friday, September 6, 2024

7:00 - 9:00 pm

Tickets $23

Visitors are invited to celebrate the opening of Rafael Blanco: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art, a solo exhibition by renowned muralist Rafael Blanco. Blanco reimagines previously unapproved mural projects from his decade-long career as a public artist. The exhibition includes new mural-sized paintings created specifically for this exhibition and a major community collaboration between Elmhurst Art Museum, Rafael Blanco, and over 100 student artists from Elmhurst and surrounding areas reflecting on their identity. The artist joins guests for celebratory drinks, light bites, and entertainment including a performance by the Conrad Fisher Elementary Singers Dual Language Program.

Soirée 2024: Dream in COLOR!

Saturday, September 21, 2024

6:00 - 11:00 pm

Tickets $375

Elmhurst Art Museum’s annual fundraiser will dare guests to Dream in COLOR! This year’s event is inspired by the vibrant work of Rafael Blanco, a public artist best known locally for co-creating the “Be Bold” mural at Elmhurst University and highlighted in the museum’s fall exhibition. Proceeds of this year’s Soirée support the museum’s operations and help the museum provide free programming and transportation to children from underserved schools. Soirée 2024: Dream in COLOR! is presented by the museum’s Board of Directors, Sustaining Fellows, and Host Committee.  The evening will include cocktails, a multi-course dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions for fabulous artworks, vacations, and experiences.

Artist Talk: Rafael Blanco

Saturday, October 12, 2024

1:00 pm

Included with museum admission

Rafael Blanco reflects on the murals he has reimagined for this exhibition, and his experiences as an artist creating public murals across the United States. Blanco sees rejection as integral to life’s experiences, especially the life of an artist. He will share insights into how he transforms rejection into success that empowers him as an artist to imagine new visions for his work.

Family Day: Monochrome Portraits

Saturday, October 26, 2024

1:00 - 4:00 pm

Included with museum admission

Inspired by the technicolor of Rafael Blanco, families are invited for an afternoon exploring color and portraiture. Using different shades or one’s favorite hue, visitors can create pictures of themselves or loved ones in this artist-led activity.

Family Day: Mini Murals

Saturday, November 16, 2024

1:00 - 4:00pm

Included with museum admission

In celebration of Rafael Blanco’s works as a public artist, families are invited to fabricate a mural with various media on their own mini paper “wall.” Participants can adapt large-scale techniques to a smaller scale.

Artist-led Exhibition Tour: Rafael Blanco

Saturday, December 7, 2024

1:00 pm

Included with museum admission

Mural artist Rafael Blanco leads a tour of his solo exhibition to explore how he reimagined rejected mural designs from cities across the country to create new works for this exhibition. Blanco offers insights into his personal journey turning refusal into renewal by using rejection as a motivation.

Family Day: Holiday Party

Saturday, December 14, 2024

1:00 - 4:00 pm

Included with museum admission

Elmhurst Art Museum celebrates the winter holidays with a visit from Santa and art activities such as card-making and creating festive decor in honor of the season.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
A native of Alicante, Spain, Rafael Blanco is a visual artist fascinated with identity, human expression, and diversity and inclusion. Trained as a classical studio painter for more than fifteen years, Blanco had his first encounter with public art in 2014. Since then, he broke away from the studio and transitioned to the creation of site-specific, large-scale mural installations. Blanco has painted murals across the US from California to Maryland, and from Texas to Illinois – including in Elmhurst. He has participated in numerous street art festivals and mural competitions, and has produced commissioned work for cities like Roseville, California, Denver, Colorado, Rockford, Illinois, and Corpus Christi, Texas, among many others. Blanco attended Florida Southern College (2000-02) and graduated with a BA in Studio Arts from Saint Mary's College of California (2002-04). After receiving his MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nevada, Reno (2010-2013), he worked as a full-time university professor at Feather River College (2014-19) and Elmhurst University (2019-23), where he taught Drawing, Painting, and Art History.

Lately, Blanco has expanded his work to public speaking, where he has been advocating for the potential of public art while engaging younger audiences, including local high school and university students, as well as participating as a guest speaker at TEDx Elmhurst University. Blanco currently lives in Aurora, Illinois with his family.

ABOUT THE ELMHURST ART MUSEUM

The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.

The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for adults (ages 18+), $15 for seniors, $10 for students, and $5 for children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.