On a hot day in the summer of 2016, Central Avenue in River Forest was more alive than usual. Crowds of children gathered near the rectangular concrete slabs under the train tracks, not far from their homebase of The Little Bits Workshop, 411 Park Ave.
Giant black and white photos the size of the rectangles were taped to the concrete. The huge portraits were of famous faces from River Forest such as candy manufacturer Franklin Mars, big band leader Lawrence Welk, and radio producer “Angel” Harvey. The children approached the walls which showed a complex paint by number, with the whole puzzle creating an intricate mural.
The murals were finished in the summer of 2017. But time left them worn and in need of rehabilitation. Now they have been restored.
“There’s a level of excitement that happens organically with a project like this,” said Liita Forsyth, 56,…
