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Visit your local bookstore or library for a copy of Urban Art Chicago. It features public art all over the city, such as Milton Mizenburg's sculptures and the poetry for each piece written by Mr. Frank Duncan. These wonderful examples of dreams kept alive by faith and ambition are showcased at the Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art. This renowned neighborhood pearl is tucked away in the heart of Chicago's south side Oakland community. It was started in 1996 as a neighborhood beautification project by the sculptor Milton Mizenburg in an effort to, allow his community to own a piece of his 20 year effort. When Milton, his wife Gloriadeen and their three children moved to the area in 1988, "It was a mess, a hellhole", exclaimed Mr. Mizenburg. But through his conscientious effort to turn his part of the city into a 24 hour, open air art museum he succeeded in creating an inspirational Mecca for future generations to come. Welcome to the website. Here we hope to take you on a virtual tour into the world of art, guided by Mr. Milton Mizenburg. Our hopes are that you can leave the site with a better sense of what a dream can produce with a little faith and a lot of hard work and ambition. In turn, you will strive to achieve your own dreams as well.
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'Here's a black artist you see every day. It's history alive, not from books.' - Shirley Newsome, Chairman of the North Kenwood and Oakland Community Council
'He built the garden because he'd decided the south side needed outdoor sculpture by African-Americans. The garden has made his piece of Oakland unique. The field of totems is a visionary environment, a kind of "garden of revelation." Mizenburg, a self-taught artist, says God guided his chain saw.'
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