Shore Walks: Calumet Park to Grant Park

From the first years of white settlement in Chicago, the Lake Michigan shore has been intensely engineered. Over the years, land has been constructed along the lake from trash, rubble of the Chicago Fire, dirt dug up from highway construction elsewhere in the city, and sand from the Indiana Dunes and the bottom of Lake Michigan. Now, more than 5.5 square miles of lakefill stretch across 30 miles of shore from Evanston to Indiana.

Part of the shore engineering now includes six signs directing visitors to experience a public artwork by JeeYeun Lee. Shore Land examines the overlapping histories of Calumet Park, Jackson Park, 31st Street Beach, Grant Park, Belmont Harbor, and Berger Park, reflecting on our relationships with land and water through audio and text.

Over two weekends in late summer, the artist will lead free public walks to experience Shore Land – moving, listening, reading, questioning, and discussing where we are together.

Participants may join or depart the walks at any point during the day. For the best experience, please bring headphones to listen to the tracks, wear walking shoes and sun protection, and bring water and snacks to stay hydrated and nourished. The events will take intermittent breaks to use washrooms, refill water bottles, and connect with others along the way. Below are estimated departure times from each site for the events.

Shore Land is designed to be experienced year-round, at the sites on the shore, or from anywhere. For full project materials for all sites, please visit jeeyeunlee.com/shore-land.