“Faces of Evanston,” a sponsored event of The Kiwanis Club of Evanston in collaboration with the Public Arts in Evanston are working together to bring awareness of Evanston’s Public Art. “Faces of Evanston” is a photo contest that engages people to showcase the beauty of our City through the eyes of the camera lense. We invite you to visit www.facesofevanston.com to learn more about the event. Evanston is full of rich “jewels” in its Public Art so lets go on a treasure hunt.
“The Arts are the Heart of Evanston,” as the old saying goes, and that pulse is perhaps most tangibly evident in the City’s ever-growing Public Art collection. Since the adoption of a Percent for Art Ordinance and the establishment of the Public Art Committee in 1991, the City’s collection has expanded dramatically to include works of art in all four corners of our fair City.
The most recent addition to Evanston’s outdoor collection, The Sea of the Ear-Ring ’07 by Takashi Soga is appropriately positioned at the center of our newly bustling downtown, just west of Fountain Square. Other significant downtown works include Bookends by Richard Hunt, nestled atop the library, and Duna by Deborah Butterfield, silently grazing in Oldberg Park along Clark Street.
Southeast Evanston features the Wall of Struggle and Dreams, a community mural at Clyde-Brummel Park, while the exterior of the Levy Senior Center to the west is embellished with artwork by Ginny Sykes and Fred Nagelbach.
On the north side of town, Silver Wings by Ferdinand Rebechini recently landed at the intersection of Green Bay Road and McCormick Blvd., while another Richard Hunt work in Cartwright Park enables children to interact with art on the northwest side. Public Art can be found throughout Evanston, at fire stations, on sidewalk pavers and tree grates, and in murals that beautify viaducts and other urban surfaces.
In addition to the dozens of outdoor works all over town, Public Art can also be found indoors, at locations such as the Civic Center, the Library, the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, post offices, schools, and more. Taking the time to embark on an art exploration of Evanston can be a very rewarding experience!
A map listing the locations for the public arts in Evanston will be available soon.
Please go to www.evanstonartsbuzz.com to find out more about the arts in Evanston.
Evanston Cultural Arts Council Press Release 2008