When Melissa and the Brewpoint Coffee team began working with me on an Elmhurst mug, the question was not simply which landmarks would fit. We wanted the drawing to feel like the place people move through every day, and to have a home in a coffee shop already woven into that routine.
A town with more than one kind of gathering place
Wilder Park gave me a natural starting point. From there, Elmhurst Art Museum, York Theatre, Elmhurst University’s Old Main, the Illinois Prairie Path, and the Metra station offered very different shapes and associations. Parks, art, education, a movie night, a walk, and a train ride all belong to the same local story.
I drew those elements individually before arranging them across the curve of the mug. A wraparound design lets someone find a familiar detail on another side each time they use it.
Why Brewpoint belongs in the story
A town mug makes the most sense to me when it can be found in a place where people already meet. Working with Melissa and the many people behind Brewpoint made this a collaboration about Elmhurst, not just an illustration of Elmhurst. The finished mug is available through Brewpoint Coffee.
If you want to see the artwork more closely, explore the Elmhurst Mug page for the drawings, local details, and shop information.
Ashley Ann