I AM CHICAGO
A neighborhood photo project by Adam Novak, Sara Collins, and Andrew Zoechbauer.
*Stars represent a neighborhood location photographed.
A gallery of photographs showing the tremendous richness in the way that Chicagoans present themselves to the public - the faces, bodies, attitudes, clothes, accessories, tools of everyday life that people lug with them - morph wildly from North to South and from East to West.
Our portraits document 30 Chicago neighborhood corners spanning two years (2010-2012) and four seasons. To encourage participation a professional studio portrait was printed free of charge and on the spot for every subject.
In January of 2026, a new website was built to help showcase this citywide art project.
Devon & Ashland
North Avenue & Lake Michigan - A Northside Chicago Beach.
Cook County Jail - 26th Avenue & California - South Lawndale Neighborhood.
26th & Albany - Little Village/La Villita neighborhood
Trinity United Church of Christ - 95th & Eggleston, Washington Heights Neighborhood.
Damen, Division, & Western Avenue - Wicker Park/Polish Triangle Neighborhood.
23rd & Wentworth - Chinatown Neigborhood.
Randolph & Clark - Chicago’s City Hall in the Loop.
Belmont & Central - Belmont Cragin/Hermosa Neighborhood.
Broadway & Norwood - Edgewater Neighborhood.
Oliphant & Northwest Highway - Edison Park Neighborhood
52nd & Emerald - Englewood Neighborhood
Rush & State - Gold Coast Neighborhood
132nd & Baltimore - Hegewisch Neighborhood
Division & California - Humboldt Park Neighborhood
57th & Ellis - University of Chicago - Hyde Park Neighborhood.
Wilson & Broadway - Uptown Neighborhood.
Madison & Pulaski - K-Town - West Garfield Park Neighborhood.
Belmont & Clark - Lakeview Neighborhood.
Lasalle & Madison - Lasalle Business District - The Loop.
Stockton & Wisconsin - Lincoln Park Neighborhood
Lincoln & Leland - Lincoln Square Neighborhood.
Argyle & Kenmore - Little Vietnam Neighborhood.
Chicago & Michigan - The Magnificent Mile of Chicago.
63rd & Pulaski - West Lawn/Midway Neigborhood.
Devon Street - Little India
18th & Loomis - Pilsen Neighborhood.
77th & Lake Michigan - Rainbow Beach - SouthShore Neighborhood.
113th & Michigan - Roseland Neighborhood
Harrison & Ogden - Stroger Hospital of Cook County - Near West-Side Neighborhood.