MICHAEL ACERRA, "MURAL AT CHEZ WILLY'S," 2000

oil directly on wall, 15' x 6'

Located: Chez Willy's, 41 S. Seminary St. Galesburg, Ill.

Other works: Mother Goosebumps, 77 S. Seminary St., Galesburg; Berwick Baptist Church, Berwick, Ill.

Walk into the dining room and bar of Chez Willy's (a chef-owned restaurant) and you'd think you'd entered the harried kitchen of a French bistro. The realistic and illusionistic mural over the bar doesn't simply fit into the architecture, it creates it. A wide painted arch frames all the activity. Busy chefs in white prepare meats, roast hens, and bake bread in flaming brick ovens. In a corner, patrons share a drink. In the foreground, high above the kitchen, tools hang from the ceiling. Below them, on an ice bed, whole lobsters, squid and even a shark are displayed. It would be difficult to find a tastier mural.

As soon as Chez Willy's opened, Michael Acerra began this mural by painting directly on the wall. Patrons watched and suggested details as a live jazz band played. He painted only while the restaurant was open and always with a band playing.

This lyrical interpretation of the ongoing restaurant is in large part drawn from the artist's imagination but true portraits of the owners can be found within. Finding the artist's signature is also a treat.