MGLEZ: Art Tribute to the Memory & Life of Martha Gonzalez
Due to a positive response from the Chicago community, the display of “MGLEZ: Art Tribute to the Memory & Life of Martha Gonzalez” will be extended until Jan. 12 at Kristoffer’s Café in Pilsen. It was near this café, at the intersection of 18th and Halsted that a hit-and-run-driver ended Gonzalez’s life on October 13, 2009. This exhibit caps off a year of events organized by her husband, Andrew Kudelka and the Martha Gonzalez Memorial Committee as part of their efforts to bring the driver to justice, and to improve the safety of area pedestrians. Kudelka worries that immigration status might play a role in the reluctance of witnesses to come forward. He laments that many people don’t know that they can’t be detained for helping investigation and stresses that those contacting the committee may remain anonymous. There is also a $10,000 reward being offered for information leading to a conviction. The money was raised with the help of artists and friends who donated art pieces, and other prizes for an art auction and raffle …