Memorial Day Weekend: The Feeling of an American Summer

Every year around Memorial Day, Chicago changes.

You can feel it before you even see it. The air softens. The lake begins to sparkle differently. Boats slowly return to the harbor, patios fill again, and people step outside carrying that unmistakable feeling that summer has finally arrived.

For me, Memorial Day has always felt like more than just the beginning of a season. It feels like a moment of reflection — a pause between memory and movement. A reminder of the people who came before us, and the freedom we often experience quietly through ordinary moments: walking along the lakefront, hearing music drift through the city, watching the skyline glow at sunset.

That feeling often finds its way into my paintings.

One piece that especially captures this emotion for me is Diversey Harbor. The boats resting along the water, the calmness of the lake, and the openness of the Chicago skyline all remind me of what makes this city feel so alive in the summertime. There is energy here, but also peace. Movement, but also stillness.

Although I grew up in Arkansas, Chicago became my home. I raised my family here, built my life here, and learned to see beauty in its changing moods — from rainy streets reflecting headlights at night to quiet mornings by the harbor before the city fully wakes up.

Chicago is not a perfect city. It never pretends to be. But maybe that’s exactly why so many of us love it so deeply. There is resilience here. History. Character. Pride.

Memorial Day reminds me that America is not only found in grand monuments or celebrations. Sometimes it exists in much smaller moments — sunlight hitting the water, neighbors gathering together after a long winter, or the simple privilege of standing freely in a city you love.

And as another Chicago summer begins, I find myself grateful once again to paint the place I call home.