New Coloring Book Features Beverly/Morgan Park Landmarks

CHICAGO — The most iconic locations that have defined the Beverly-Morgan Park neighborhood for years are included in "Color Me Beverly - A Neighborhood Coloring Book" that features familiar sites and landmarks throughout the community.

The coloring book, which is just as popular (if not more) with adults as children, is available at select neighborhood stores and could prove to be the ideal holiday gift for both current neighborhood families and those who have moved away but still love the area where they grew up.

A dozen sketches were made by neighborhood artist Judie Anderson, who partnered with local historian Carol Flynn on producing the book. Pages in the book offer opportunities to give your own color interpretation of places like The Castle, County Fair, Janson's and of course, The Original Rainbow Cone.

"The Rainbow Cone page sells the book on its own," said Flynn.

Here's the full list of sketches to be colored in the book:

• The Castle
• Janson's
• A Frank Lloyd Wright residence (99th and Longwood)
• 99th Street Station
• Beverly Arts Center
• County Fair Groceries
• Saint Barnabas Catholic Church
• Rainbow Cone
• Starbucks (former Christian Science Reading Room)
• 111th Street Station
• Trinity Methodist Church
• Ridge Park

Flynn said the idea for her and Anderson to put this together emerged during a dinner the two had earlier this year. Anderson said she once visited a children's workshop in north suburban Evanston, where she saw a "Color Me Evanston" book and thought "we should do the same thing here."

"I thought it would be even more popular (in Beverly-Morgan Park)," she said. "I've wanted to do something like it for a few years, but never found the time."

This year, Anderson said she made a point to get the project done and thought Flynn, a longtime historian at the Ridge Historical Society, would be the perfect person to provide the historical context into her sketches.

"I have also wanted to see a coloring book for a long time," Flynn said. "Adult coloring books are in right now. They have been proven to reduce stress and increase productivity."

Flynn and Anderson put the book together over the summer. It includes the sketches by Anderson on one side of the page, with an historical description of the venue by Flynn on the other side. The book made its debut at Anderson's home art studio at 106th and Hoyne on the day of the Beverly Art Walk in September.

"The response has been phenomenal," Flynn said. "People have enjoyed this immensely, and it's not just the kids."

"I know both adults and children who love to color," Anderson added. "(The book) is not too immature for adults, but not too complicated for children, either."

It's available locally only, with 25 copies having been distributed for sale at Bookie's, 10324 S. Western Ave.; Turkey, 9913 S. Walden Parkway and Heritage Gallery, 1907 W. 103rd St. Additional copies are also available for sale at the Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seeley Ave. and the book will be featured at "The Uprising" event set to take place on Sunday, Dec. 9 at Olivia's Garden, 10730 S. Western Ave.

"The only critical comments we've heard are about our choices of what's in the book," Flynn said. "Everybody has an opinion that we should have done something else, or that we left out something really good."

"That's why we may be making another book real soon."

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The sequel, according to Flynn, will be titled "Color Me Morgan Park," and include sketches Anderson has either already made or will make of other neighborhood spots like Top Notch Beefburgers, Smith Village, the Morgan Park Sports Complex, the Ingersoll-Blackwelder House and Morgan Park Academy's Alumni Hall.

But until the next one is out, the original "Color Me Beverly" is sure to be a hit this holiday season.

"This is a local thing," Anderson, a Beverly resident for 60 years, said. "And with Christmas coming up, we are always encouraging people in Beverly to buy local."

Flynn and Anderson kept the production of the book local as well, using Solution 3 Graphics to print it and local photographer Diego Ivan Martirena to take photos of the two authors that are placed on the back cover.

The book has already been on display at the Morgan Park Academy book fair and been used by adults with special needs who are in art therapy.

Buy it at any of the neighborhood places listed above for $10. It's an additional $4 for Flynn to mail a copy to those from out of town. Contact her via email at cflynn2013@yahoo.com if you'd like a mailed copy.

"We put it in a nice sturdy envelope, so you know it will arrive in one piece," she said, adding that one woman in another state said she might cry because the book will no doubt remind her of growing up in the neighborhood many years ago.

Anderson calls the book "a collector's item."

"We don't know if we'll do a second printing, so there are only a few hundred copies going around," she said. "And this has never been done before. Nobody has done this type of coloring book for Beverly."

Photo by Tim Moran / Patch