Meet the Artists of Gin Alley

June 2, 2023
A cobblestone alleyway lit by string lights and decorated with Christmas trees, featuring tables and benches for dining.

Fulton Market stands as one of Chicago’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving neighborhoods. A part of its charm is Gin Alley, an imaginative corridor filled with art, dining, shopping, and life. It captivates all visitors with its unique allure, courtesy of the twelve talented artists who have crafted artworks ranging from murals to ironwork. Their unique contributions have transformed Gin Alley into a truly one-of-a-kind haven of artistic expression–now let’s meet some of them!


Jason Brammer

A person with long hair stands in a wide stance against a vibrant wall mural of twisting vines and orange flowers.

Photo by Michael Scarapelli 


Having created the most prominent mural in Gin Alley,
Jason Brammer is a Chicago-based artist known for his distinctive murals and paintings. He’s been working as an artist for over 20 years, creating for clients ranging from LinkedIn and Hulu to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Discussing this mural in particular, Brammer “explores the translucent nature of leaves, the transcendent quality of flowers, and the phenomenon of heliotropism where plants naturally seek out and grow towards the sunlight.” It’s the perfect organic gateway to welcome the neighborhood into Gin Alley.

A mural depicting blue sky and green vines on the side and ceiling of an urban building, next to a cobblestone street.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Michael Scarapelli 


Stefan Matioc

A person with a beard and glasses wears a black sweatshirt featuring line art, standing before a black mural reading

Upon entering the fitness center at The Lofts at Gin Alley, one of our loft-style apartment communities, you’ll find a combination of fitness equipment and industrial-style street art courtesy of Stefan Matioc. Based in Madison, WI, Matioc plays with flowing lines in a variety of shapes and forms to create murals, paintings, and even neon lights. His signature neon lights in Gin Alley are a unique take on a boxing glove and a heart rate monitor, adding a fun and abstract feel to the space.

Two treadmills in a gym with exposed brick walls, industrial ceiling pipes, and glowing neon art.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose


Lucy Slivinski

A black-and-white portrait of a person with wavy hair, wearing a white collared garment against a dark background.

Photo credits: Lucy Slivinski


Lucy Slivinski
, a Chicago-based critically acclaimed sculptor and installation artist, is responsible for the one-of-a-kind iron chandelier in The Lofts at Gin Alley. Over the past 30 years, her art has utilized recycled materials to create conceptual spaces of human connection. She believes that “through recycling, we have blessed opportunities to reshape things that are perceived as decay, into replenished mysteries of beauty.”

A large, intricate, spherical sculpture made of interconnected, rusted metal chair frames in a minimalist room.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose


Pamela Staker

A smiling person with shoulder-length wavy hair looking down in a black-and-white portrait.

Photo credits: Pamela Staker


A once math major turned contemporary artist,
Pamela Staker created this vibrant abstract mural in The Lofts at Gin Alley. It adds a colorful touch to the community, brightening up the space with its unique color combinations. She describes her process as using “abstraction through a compiled visual language of urban symbols, geometric shapes, figurative elements, and pops of nature.”

Large abstract painting with bold strokes of vibrant yellow, orange, and magenta, featuring dripped paint and linear forms.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose

Liz Mares

A person with shoulder-length curly hair and glasses wears a bright red sweater, smiling in front of artwork.

Photo credits: King Art Collective


Specializing in contemporary art,
Liz Mares weaved together linework and jewel-toned geometric shapes to create one of the murals at The Lofts at Gin Alley. Minimalism and rigidity have always been present in her art, as she describes them as the “languages of [her] work” blended with the connectivity of the subject matter. Her balance of shapes, color, and design is ever-present across her portfolio, and you can find her work in exhibitions in Chicago’s Contemporary Gallery, Roman Susan Annex, and more.

A geometric mural on a wall featuring interconnected triangles and polygons in shades of blue, orange, pink, and dark green.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose


Emmy Star Brown

A person painting a wall mural in a studio, surrounded by paintbrushes in containers and color swatches.

Photo credits: Emmy Star Brown


Another Chicago-based artist,
Emmy Star Brown’s modern art style spans painting, murals, and calligraphy. You’ll see her art shortly after you enter The Lofts at Gin Alley, with pops of color splashed across the white-painted staircase walls. Describing this piece, Brown says it’s “inspired by relational interaction: initiating, experimentation, intensifying, integration, and bonding.” It’s a playful way of creating a fun and adaptive space throughout the common areas of the building, connecting all the residents through lines, shapes, and negative space.

Abstract mural with magenta, teal, and dark blue shapes painted on a white brick wall by a stairwell with a metal rail.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose


Tanner Woodford

Photo by Yaro Banduro


Specializing in painting optimistic and typographic murals, you can find
Tanner Woodford’s art on the windows of The Lofts at Gin Alley, a piece inspired by his works titled Cutting Room Floor. The remains of vinyl lettering, the fragments are based on the phrases written by 5th-8th graders after being asked, “what is a great idea?” Woodford is also the founder and executive director of the Design Museum of Chicago, and his work doesn’t stop there; he has also led workshops and lectured on design issues, history, and social change in schools and at conferences.

A sidewalk view of an urban building with a modern black awning, large glass windows, and potted plants lining the entry.

Art at Gin Alley | Photo by Ashley Rose

 
Life at Gin Alley

A modern open-plan kitchen and living space with brick walls, wood ceilings, hardwood floors, and large windows.

Curious about where you can find most of this art? The Lofts at Gin Alley is the area’s premier apartment community for industrial-style lofts and contemporary living. Choose from a variety of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom floor plans and live next to Fulton Market shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences right outside your door. Plus, enjoy the art installations brought to you by the artists of Gin Alley!


To explore more of Reside’s communities in Fulton Market and the surrounding areas, click
here.

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