By Emily Harrington
“Cheeeeese, cheeeeeeeeeeese, cheeeeeeeeeeeeese!” OK, so everyone likes cheese, but, my son loves cheese. So, you can imagine his delight when just after we hit Bradley Avenue while traveling north on Neil Street a giant wedge of cheese appears outside of the passenger window. But, it’s not cheese at all—it’s art!?
Art is subjective—there’s no doubt. While my husband sees an ax chopping cinder blocks, my son and I see cheese. There are many “what’s that?” type moments sporadically planted throughout Champaign-Urbana in the form of sculptures. It wasn’t until I started researching this article that I realized just how many sculptures there are in C-U. A LOT.
A sculpture is a work of art made out of virtually any material. This genre differs from statues because they tend to be more abstract, while a statue is mainly of people and/or animals. This is my attempt at categorizing the sometime uncategorizable.
Stop and look at the artwork that enhances C-U’s landscape. Here’s a roadmap to guide you.
Champaign
- What? Painted steel “Flamenco Revisited” abstract
Where? South side of Porter Park on the corner of Windsor and Rising Roads - What? Mixed metal “Kaufman Lake Wind Chimes”
Where? East side of Kaufman Lake on West Springfield Avenue - What? Metal “Frederick Douglass: In Remembrance” abstract
Where? The Douglass Branch Library entrance off North Fifth Street - What? Painted steel “New Holland Yellow Dinosaur” abstract
Where? South side of Hessel Park on West Kirby Avenue - What? Painted steel “Fettle” abstract
Where? Hill by Champaign Telephone Company on South Neil Street - What? Metal “Sunder Planet” sphere
Where? Parking lot in front of Orpheum Children’s Science Museum on North Neil Street - What? Metal “Stride” beast
Where? Parking lot in front of Orpheum Children’s Science Museum on North Neil Street - What? Painted metal utensils/tools
Where? Prosperity Gardens on North Neil Street - What? Painted mild steel/industrial enamel “Stanchion” abstract
Where? East side of Hazel Park on North Neil Street - What? Metal “Double Dutch – A Jump for Joy” abstract
Where? East side of West Side Park on North State Street - What? Forged iron “Tootsie” abstract
Where? West side of West Side Park on North Elm Street - What? Stainless Steel “Pipe Trapped Apparitions” abstract
Where? Park Street near Randolph Street - What? Aluminum/steel/LEDs/electronics “Glory Pipes 2.0” pipes
Where? Roundabout at Main and Chestnut Streets - What? Bronze/glass light globe/acrylic paint “Chester the Jester” jester light
Where? Corner of University Avenue and Market Streets - What? Painted metal lion
Where? The Lodge on Hill apartments at the corner of Randolph and Hill Streets
Urbana
- What? Aluminum “Water” angelfish
Where? Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center entrance on North Broadway Avenue - What? Bronze “Ibidem” book
Where? The Urbana Free Library southeast corner - What? Aluminum/plastic/electronics/audio “Stranger Reduction Zone” street sign
Where? The Urbana Free Library Green Street entrance - What? Limestone “Slow and Steady” animals and books
Where? The Urbana Free Library Green Street entrance - What? Limestone “Arcas” bear
Where? The Pines on the corner of Philo and Windsor Roads - What? Limestone “Decisions” animal
Where? Carle Park on West Indiana Avenue - What? Limestone “Fly Fishing” frog
Where? Anita Purves Nature Center on North Broadway Avenue - What? Limestone “El-Arairah” rabbit
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on South Race Street - What? Painted steel “Minimal Response III” hammers
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on East Windsor Road - What? Painted aluminum “Father and Sons” kids and adults
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on East Windsor Road - What? Painted steel “From Night Daddy’s Book of Dreams” animal/person
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on East Windsor Road - What? Wood “Folk Art” poles with faces
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on East Windsor Road - What? Stainless steel “Molecular Reflection” abstract
Where? Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park on East Windsor Road - What? Industrial plastic/rubber “Athirst” whales
Where? Corner of Race and Griggs Streets - What? Metal spiral fountain
Where? Next to the Urbana City Building on South Vine Street - What? Stainless steel/epoxied mosaic “Asteray” abstract
Where? Near the Corner of Green and Cedar Streets - What? Painted metal bike racks
Where? In front of Champaign Cycle in Urbana on South Race Street
If you are simply out running errands, or want to make a day of it, take some moments to admire the larger-than-life artwork that exists outside in our community. Add to your checklist the statues to admire, too.
What did we miss? Tell us what public artwork you admire in the community in the comments below.
Emily Harrington is a Chambana townie that left her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job to be a 24/7 mom to a dreamy son. Still interested in writing, Emily uses some of naptime to practice her passion and keep her mind right. Emily is a happy wife with a happy life because she fell for a fellow townie. Oh, and let’s not forget her other son, a degenerate canine named Heppenheimer.