Artholes: Artist covers mundane potholes with pandemic-themed mosaics

Along a side street near the iconic Green Mill jazz club in the Uptown neighborhood, Bachor has created four glass and marble mosaics inside small craters in the pavement

The colorful creations, which glisten in the sunlight, refer to symbols of the city's experience with the pandemic

There are mosaics depicting an Old Style beer can, one of Chicago's classic brands; a toilet paper roll and a bottle of hand sanitizer; and a red Chicago flag star, in homage to a city that has recorded 1,830 coronavirus-related deaths

Chicagoans are all too familiar with potholes, and Bachor has been placing tile mosaics in them since 2013 after a particularly stubborn crater in front of his Northwest Side home inspired him

First, Bachor spent eight to 10 hours completing the artwork in his studio. He then hauled water, concrete and the mosaics to the four potholes, where he spent about two hours installing them. He returned the next day to complete the installation