For more than two years, Naperville artist Marianne Lisson Kuhn has been creating quite a scene along Rubins Way, located in the alley across the street from where the Rubin’s Department Store used to do business at 224 S. Main Street.
Today, the historic building where the Rubin family set up shop in 1928 is home to Heaven on Seven, a New Orleans-style restaurant sandwiched between Dean’s Fine Clothing and Liam Brex with Roseland Draperies & Interiors.
When the weather cooperates, folks will find Kuhn, a fifth generation Napervillian, sketching scenes of Naperville and bringing them to life with colorful paint on the south wall of Rubins Way in the mural titled “Naperville Loves a Parade.”
She masterfully has brought images together from throughout the city—Meson Sabika, CityGate Centre and Naperville Plaza— to blend into the “parade route” in downtown Naperville.
For more than two decades, Kuhn’s work has been distinguished by the realistic detail with special attention to depict her hometown in a memorable way. Her Naperville scenes are in several galleries in Naperville, and her farm and tractor scenes can be found all over the country. For many years, she’s been a regular exhibitor at the NWC Fine Art Show at Naperville Settlement in July and the Naperville Art League Riverwalk Fine Art Fair in September.
Kuhn’s work also is featured in a number of Century Walk murals from the Naperville Art League along Fifth Avenue to several locations in downtown Naperville.
On August 2, Kuhn’s sketches of Ss. Peter and Paul Church and the Martin-Mitchell Mansion at Naper Settlement were taking shape as the mural leads to its finish line.
Beneath the images of the landscape created with awesome accuracy by Kuhn are portraitures of more than 200 spectators watching the “Parade of the Century,” a mural on the exterior wall on the north side of the alley painted by artist Adela Vystejnova.
The Century Walk mural, “Naperville Loves a Parade,” has been designed by lead artist Dodie Mondero with the assistance of artists Ashely Samack, Vystejnova and Kuhn.
Many related posts with photos and mentions of the Century Walk outdoor art project are featured on this website to chronicle its progress since spring 2011.
Meanwhile, visit downtown Naperville any time and take a stroll to Rubins Way to see how the artists are bringing the Naperville parade scene to life, featuring entries in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Memorial Day Parade, Labor Day Parade and Hometown Holidays Parade all in the “Parade of the Century.”
Labor Day Parade is Sept. 2
And for the real thing, note that the Naperville Jaycees Last Fling Labor Day Parade is slated to begin at 10AM Mon., Sept. 2.
