Chicago Park Named for Late Artist Dont Fret Is One Step Closer to Reality

Patty Wetli | September 9, 2026, 1:10 pm

Artwork by Dont Fret featured in the show “Office Space for Rent.” (WTTW News)

Though his full name remains a mystery, the late artist known as Dont Fret is about to have his alias attached to a Chicago park.

During Wednesday’s meeting of the Chicago Park District board of commissioners, a motion was approved to begin the process of renaming Park 567 in honor of Dont Fret.

The .33-acre park is a passive green space at 1801 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park where it serves as an entry point to the 606 Bloomingdale Trail.

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The choice of location is a nod to Dont Fret’s roots; he was born and raised in Wicker Park. The renaming has widespread support from neighborhood civic organizations and residents, as well as friends and acquaintances of Dont Fret, including filmmaker Joe Swanberg and Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz, according to Park District officials.

A street view of Park 567. The mural seen on the building overlooking the park is not a work by Dont Fret. (Google)

The acclaimed artist (whose first name was revealed as Cooper) died in spring 2025 at the age of 36.

His street art can be seen throughout Chicago — the Chicago Reader named Dont Fret “best street artist” in 2015 — and his work has also been exhibited around the country and world in cities including New York, Denver, San Francisco, Budapest, Warsaw, London, Sao Paulo and Berlin.

Perhaps his most ambitious undertaking was the series “The People in Your Neighborhood”: 55 portraits of everyday Chicagoans, which drew inspiration from the Carl Sandberg poem “City of Big Shoulders.” The city of Chicago commissioned the piece from Dont Fret, and the finished work was displayed on the Riverwalk in 2020.

WTTW News covered Dont Fret’s show “Office Space for Rent,” also in 2020.

Wednesday’s action by the Park District board initiates a 45-day public comment period. At the end of those 45 days, the naming can come up for a final yea or nay vote by commissioners, likely at their November meeting.

Commenting on the proposal, Commissioner Robert Castaneda said that while he wasn’t initially familiar with Dont Fret’s work, it clearly made a profound impact. “It’s great to see an artist’s local community want to honor his legacy in this way,” Castaneda said.

A motion was also approved to consider naming Park 559, at 6151 N. Sheridan Road, Edgewater Prairie Park.