The Illinois Railway Museum through its Strahorn Library will host a major retrospective art exhibition, called “Under the Wire – The Art and Life of Mitch Markovitz,” featuring over 50 years of original paintings and posters by Knox artist Mitch Markovitz.
The exhibit opens on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM.
The exhibit will feature a retrospective exhibition with a formal opening and presentation of two original paintings donated to the museum by Markovitz.
The exhibit opens with a reception at 2:00 PM Sunday, April 12th and runs for the entire 2026 operating season.
The exhibit connects the IRM’s physical railway collection with fine art, highlighting the cultural relevance and evocative nature of American railroading and railroads.
The announcement of the exhibit states that Mitch Markovitz is unique for his dual career as both an artist and a professional railwayman (Locomotive Engineer, Conductor, Railroad Art Director) on lines including the Chicago and North Western Railway, Milwaukee Road, and the South Shore. His art style is bold, informed by classic 1920s/30s poster artists, and ensures technical accuracy, or “provenance,” derived from his many years of experience as a trainman.
Many of the subjects of his work are on display and operating at the Illinois Railway Museum. Markovitz’s work acts as a “tour guide to the present” that restores memories and emotions of the American Railway.
Mitch’s key contributions include design input for the original METRA system uniforms and serving as Founding Artist for the successful “Millennium South Shore Posters.”
Mitch was invested as a Sagamore of the Wabash, the State of Indiana’s highest honor, in February 2024 by Governor Eric Holcomb, for his economic and cultural impact in the region.
