You Are Beautiful Andersonville, Chicago

Title: You Are Beautiful Andersonville
Artist: Matthew Hoffman
Location: Andersonville, Chicago, IL
Installed: 2015
Materials: Painted MDO
Type: Fence Installation Series

About the Installation

Installed in 2015 throughout Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, these were the first You Are Beautiful fence installations. The project was created in collaboration with the local community, bringing the message into everyday public space along sidewalks, schools, and neighborhood streets.

These early installations helped establish the fence format that has since become one of the most common ways communities bring the message into public space. By attaching the words directly to existing fences, the message becomes part of the rhythm of the neighborhood, appearing in places people pass every day.

The Andersonville installations were supported through a community-driven fundraising campaign that allowed multiple locations to be installed at once, helping the message take root across the neighborhood.