WPB announces Make Believe $5,500 winner

"Slow" as pictured during the opening tour this summer

Recipient of the $5,500 prize in the WPB's* Make Believe project to fill vacant storefronts with art was announced during the First Friday event in the Flat Iron Building. And the winner is ... Indo Projects for their styrofoam cup creation called "Slow" at 1452 North Milwaukee Avenue.

According to WPB Project Manager, Jamie Simone, the voting lead went back and forth among three or four entries. In the end, Indo's presentation beat out Christophe Gauspohl's "Artichoke (An Urban Constellation)" by eight votes with Team Robinson's "Wing It!" coming in third.

WPB Project Manager Jamie Simone thanks participants in project

The multi-month voting process to determine the cash prizewinner from among the ten entries along North Milwaukee Avenue from 1452 to 1251 plus 1240 North Ashland Avenue brought in about 2,000 votes, with around 200 being cast on the final day.

Ed Marzewski gives opening comments

During the introduction of the announcement, Simone thanked all those involved in the approximate $70,000 project produced and guided by Firebelly Design and Pivotal Production. Ed Marzewski, one of the judges that selected the ten entries, said a few words about art and the project before Shannon Downey from Pivotal made the presentation of the giant replica check.

*WPB is the Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area #33.

Shannon Downey reveals the big check award

For more information: Entries; Review and comments; Marzewski; Pivotal