CHICAGO, IL.- Pedestrians along Michigan Avenue are in for a cool surprise when they encounter a new art exhibit sponsored by ComEd: Fine Art Fridges. The display, which runs through September 15, features recycled refrigerators that have been transformed into works of art.

Fine Art Fridges depicts themes ranging from Chicago architecture to a celebration of flowers. In one of the pieces, artist VooDoo Larry Grobe has transformed a vintage 1950s Philco fridge into a jazzy “VooDoo Hot Rod.” In another, Nicole Beck celebrates wildlife in a mosaic tribute to endangered life in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nine pieces designed by Chicago-area artists are displayed on the sidewalk along the Magnificent Mile between Chicago Avenue and Illinois Street.

The exhibit was created to raise awareness for ComEd’s Appliance Recycling Program, through which ComEd will haul away your old, second working refrigerator or freezer free of charge. In return, customers receive $25.00 per appliance. To date, the program has removed more than 43,000 inefficient appliances from the market.

“Fine Art Fridges is a fresh approach to our ongoing efforts to educate our customers through our Smart Ideassm portfolio of options that can help customers save money by becoming more energy efficient,” said president and COO Anne Pramaggiore. “Many households have an extra working refrigerator or freezer in their basement or garage. What they may not know is that older refrigerator appliances can use up to five times more energy than their energy-efficient equivalents. Continued usage of an older model can result in $150 per year in extra electricity costs.”

The specific Michigan Avenue exhibit locations are:

500 N. Michigan Avenue - #4: VooDoo Larry – ‘Recycled VooDoo Retro Rod’
505 N. Michigan Avenue - #5: Lucy Slivinski – ‘In the Land of Love, There is No Garbage’
540 N. Michigan Avenue - #2: Kathryn Trumbull Fimreite – ‘Green Lifestyles’
625 N. Michigan Avenue - #6: Nicole Beck – ‘Coldspot: A Gulf Story’
645 N. Michigan Avenue - #7: Ginny Sykes – ‘Calming/Calling/Cooling’
669 N. Michigan Avenue - #8: Tyrue ‘Slang’ Jones – ‘The Last Tree Exhibit’
676 N. Michigan Avenue - #3: Victoria Fuller – ‘Peas and Quiet’
700 N. Michigan Avenue - #1: Beth Kamhi – ‘The Power of Flowers’
777 N. Michigan Avenue - #9: Mike Helbing – ‘Running Down, Out to Pasture’