The Galleria presents

Carolyn Elaine

Public Artist

Creating permanent public artworks that celebrate culture, community, and place.

Artist Statement

Carolyn Elaine

Carolyn Elaine is a Chicago-based public artist whose work explores history, identity, and the stories that connect people to place. Working primarily in mosaic, she creates permanent installations that transform architecture into spaces of reflection, belonging, and cultural memory.

Through collaboration with communities, institutions, and design partners, her work celebrates the people, traditions, and histories that shape our shared experience.

Selected Clients

Partners In Health · Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events · Brookfield Zoo Chicago · Lauren Rogers Museum of Art · Chicago Public Schools · Oak Park Area Arts Council · Covenant United Church of Christ · St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica

Selected Works

Whispers of Ancestral Wisdom

Stories of St. Bess

St. Elizabeth, Jamaica · 2025
Collaboration with Camille Chedda

Created through community engagement and cultural research, Whispers of Ancestral Wisdom: Stories of St. Bess combines mosaic portraiture, relief sculpture, photography, and architecture to honor the heritage of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

Detail view of the central elder portrait.

Selected Works

The Tears of Our Ancestors Irrigate Our Destiny

Laurel, Mississippi · 2023
Commissioned by Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
Installed at Laurel Jones County Welcome Center

Inspired by the Sankofa principle, this community-engaged mosaic honors civil rights history while celebrating resilience, civic participation, and hope for future generations.

Selected Works

We Carry the Light

Chicago, Illinois · 2018
Collaboration with Damon Lamar Reed

Created for the historic Rosenwald Courts Apartments, this permanent installation celebrates the people, history, and cultural legacy of Bronzeville.

Selected Works

Creating Our Own Narrative

Chicago, Illinois · 2021

Commissioned for South Shore Fine Arts Academy, this exterior mosaic celebrates creativity, education, and the limitless potential of young people.

Selected Works

BJ's Mom

Chicago, Illinois · 2025

Created for the sensory learning environment at James R. Doolittle Elementary School, this large-scale mosaic celebrates storytelling, imagination, and discovery.

Selected Works

Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Brookfield, Illinois · 2013

Two of six permanent mosaic environments created for Brookfield Zoo, these installations transform everyday visitor spaces into immersive experiences inspired by the natural world.

Selected Works

Where Two Or Three Are Gathered

Covenant United Church of Christ · South Holland, Illinois · 2021

This stained-glass mosaic installation surrounds the sanctuary of Covenant United Church Of Christ with color, light, and symbolism that reflect themes of faith, unity, and community.

Detail view of Where Two Or Three Are Gathered — Detail view of the sanctuary mosaic.

Contact

Carolyn Elaine

Public Artist · Chicago, Illinois

studioelainemosaic.com
carolyn@studioelainemosaic.com