From Teen Banking Customer to Creator of U.S. Bank Branch Mural in Chicago
The Green Star Movement founder, along with U.S. Bank volunteers and community members, created a mosaic mural for the Lincoln Avenue branch
Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog
When Kamelia Hristeva started banking with U.S. Bank more than 20 years ago at age 16, neither she nor her banking team knew what the future had in store for her.
“In my final year of university, I was part of a public art project in Chicago and saw the power that art can have in community,” she said. “At the same time, I was working in some schools teaching art and saw a real need for neighborhood beautification and arts education.”
That’s how the Green Star Movement was born: a non-profit founded by Hristeva, banked by U.S. Bank, and now behind Chicago’s newest mosaic mural – this one covering two sides of the U.S. Bank Lincoln Avenue branch in Chicago.
“Our Lincoln Avenue branch just underwent a significant remodel, and we were brainstorming ways to connect our location to the community and our neighbors,” said Louise Fernandez, a hub branch manager for U.S. Bank. “Someone mentioned doing some type of artwork, something that will add value and stand the test of time.”
That’s when Fernandez thought of Hristeva, who is now a long-time U.S. Bank client. The pair met almost a decade ago when Fernandez was a personal banker and helped Hristeva with day-to-day needs for her Green Star Movement and personal accounts.
“It’s amazing how we can start with a young adult account with her and, throughout the years as she became a mother and started her nonprofit, Kamelia continued to stay with us because she feels supported on her journey to her financial and career goals,” Fernandez said.
The journey has come full circle for Hristeva, who – with the help of dozens of U.S. Bank and community volunteers – created nearly 300 square feet of tiles on 20 boards that, when put together into a mosaic, tell a story of support and community.
“This artwork is reflective of the community we are serving around our Lincoln Avenue branch, and it took the power of community to make it happen,” said Jen Uhri, the Illinois Branch Banking market leader for U.S. Bank. “We had multiple discussions with the team and with Kamelia to make this artwork something we could all be proud of.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Hristeva.
“To see a company be so thoughtful about clients and community members has been a joy,” she said.
Hristeva, through the Green Star Movement, has helped create more than 250 murals on school buildings, under overpasses and in other locations throughout Chicago in the last 20 years.
“I wanted to build something that helped youth discover their voice and see their potential, while also bringing color, pride, and storytelling to underrepresented neighborhoods,” she said. “The moment that sparked it all for me was watching a young person’s face light up as they saw their artwork displayed on a public wall for the first time. That feeling that art can transform a person just as much as a place can drives everything we do."
