MILWAUKEE — It took more than 20 hours to create, but one good rainstorm could wash it all away.
That's the reality for Milwaukee artist Katie Bogan, whose larger-than-life sidewalk chalk portrait of Brewers star Jackson Chourio is turning heads in downtown Milwaukee as the city celebrates its first World Series appearance in 44 years.
The 10-by-10-foot portrait is on display outside Chase Tower near Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street. Commissioned by Milwaukee Downtown, the artwork is one more way the city's excitement over the Brewers is spilling beyond the baseball diamond.
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And judging by the reaction from people walking past, Bogan has captured more than just Chourio's likeness.
"This is amazing. This is beautiful," said Matt Wallamacke, who stopped to admire the portrait.
Even a visitor from St. Louis, home of the rival Cardinals, couldn't help but appreciate the artwork.
"Incredibly realistic," said Judy, who was visiting Milwaukee. "I love the highlights, especially on the lips and how realistic it looks."
A scientist with an eye for art
Creating such a lifelike portrait requires patience, precision and a willingness to look at things differently.
Bogan said she often changes her perspective while working to make sure every detail is just right.
"I'll work it from sideways and I'll do it upside down and I'll do it from all different angles instead of just straight on," she explained.
But art isn't how she makes her living.
"I'm an environmental scientist," Bogan said. "This is just kind of a hobby for me."
It's a hobby she's pursued for years, developing a talent for realistic portraits that can transform an ordinary stretch of pavement into something people stop to photograph.
For this project, she also let baseball fans have a say. Bogan asked her Instagram followers which Brewers player they wanted to see, and Chourio emerged as the overwhelming favorite.
From Milwaukee newcomer to diehard Brewers fan
There's another part of Bogan's story that makes her tribute to the Brewers special.
She wasn't always a baseball fan.
In fact, before moving to Milwaukee about a year ago, she said the sport wasn't really on her radar.
That changed as she settled into her new hometown and experienced the excitement surrounding the team.
"It feels like a nice welcome to Milwaukee, honestly," Bogan said. "I've been here for about a year now and I've never been a baseball fan before, but I'm a diehard baseball fan now."
Now she's contributing to the excitement herself, creating a place where fans can stop, admire the portrait and share in a historic moment for Milwaukee baseball.
A World Series moment 44 years in the making
The Brewers' return to the World Series has brought generations of fans together.
For some, it's a chance to experience something they've never seen before. For others, it's a reminder of the team's memorable 1982 run.
Marianne Standish believes the excitement is about more than wins and losses.
"We need something good, and sports seems to bring everybody, you know, together," she said.
Rachel Egenhofer returned from California for the World Series and found herself surrounded by the kind of hometown excitement she remembered.
"You know, that's what Brewer fans do," she said. "We're here, we're here for the moment."
Her father, George Egenhofer, remembers the Brewers' last trip to the World Series in 1982, when Milwaukee faced the St. Louis Cardinals.
Watching another generation of fans experience that excitement is something he's waited decades to see.
"It's about time," he said.
A masterpiece that won't last forever
For all the time and detail Bogan has poured into her portrait, she knows it isn't permanent.
Unlike a painting hanging in a gallery, her creation is exposed to the elements. A heavy rain could erase the face of one of Milwaukee's favorite baseball players in a matter of hours.
But Bogan doesn't see that as a drawback.
"That's the beauty of temporary art: it brings people together in the moment," she said. "It makes you enjoy the moment."
And perhaps that's what makes the artwork such a fitting tribute to the Brewers' World Series run.
The excitement, the crowds and the memories are all part of a moment Milwaukee fans have waited 44 years to experience again.
Bogan's portrait may eventually wash away, but for the people stopping to see it, it's another way to be part of Milwaukee baseball history.
Where to see the artwork
The Jackson Chourio sidewalk chalk portrait is located at the Chase Tower plaza at 111 E. Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee near the riverwalk.
The artwork is expected to remain on display during the World Series as weather permits. Because it's made entirely of sidewalk chalk, visitors are encouraged to see it before rain washes it away.
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