The up-and-coming Chicago artist has landed a major commission on the West Side, one of six projects tied to the city’s moment in the national political spotlight.
It’s just past 3 p.m. on a scorching July afternoon, and Jake Troyli watches as a group of elementary school children file into a studio space in a South Chicago community center. Standing at a formidable 6 ’10”, Troyli towers no less than two feet over most in the room at the SkyArt Center, but the additional inches don’t seem to keep his jitters at bay.
“I’m kind of nervous,” laughs Troyli. “I present to adults all the time, but it’s kind of intimidating to talk to kids.”
The 33-year-old painter spent the morning bouncing around the center asking kids about their ambitions and dreams and hyping them about the boundless futures that lay ahead of them. But Troyli, who moved to Chicago from Florida in 2020, isn’t only here to commune with aspiring artists. He also hopes to translate his conversations into an idea for a 30-foot tall mural. The piece was commissioned by SkyArt, an arts nonprofit that runs free kids programs for its second location in Garfield Park. The center will anchor a new neighborhood arts corridor in a block that has been historically violent.
