The Normal Town Council on Monday purchased four pieces of permanent art for a planned sculpture park at One Normal Plaza.
The cost is $69,750 for the art pieces, all crafted by Illinois artists and are planned to be installed this spring with a grand opening soon after.
The planned sculpture park was approved by the council in June 2024. The contract with Hitchcock Design Group was to create a master plan for the green space in the center of the circle drive at 1110 Douglas St. After costs exceeded estimates, the council in April rejected new bids that also were seen as higher than anticipated. In July, the work was awarded to Otto Baum company after a second bidding process.
Beth Whisman, executive director of the Town of Normal Cultural Arts and Children’s Discovery Museum, and McLean County Arts Center Executive Director Doug Johnson gave a presentation to the council on the chosen sculptures and provided a timeline of the projects.
She said while it's the first time the town has commissioned public art on this scale, there is precedent to add public art.
“Peoria has regular displays of public art on their art walk," said Johnson. "The city of Urbana has a long-term multi-decade project where public art is placed in downtown Urbana, much of it, in their case, is rented so it’s there for three or four years but they have some permanent things as well,” said Johnson.
“There’s a lot of precedent for communities having public art, it certainly speaks to business leaders and people that are looking to relocate to a community when they can see there is investment in public enterprise."
That investment is what Johnson spoke more about when questioned by council member Kathleen Lorenz on the business prospects to acquiring such art.
“The same money that could go into fixing a curb can be recouped from the attracting businesses to our community, attracting people that can say this is a place they want to live because of the investment in cultural enterprise,” he said. “That’s giving them the opportunity to spend more time in our community and spend more money in our community as well.”
Johnson said for every person who attends a cultural event spends $35 per person per event outside of ticket costs.
The art comes as a result of an initiative by town staff issuing a formal request for qualifications from artists in August. Out of 20 submissions, eight artists were selected for further review by the Public Art Working Group consisting of 22 members, including Johnson and Whisman.
Group members reviewed the work and shared feedback and preferences among themselves. After Sept. 23 meeting to finalize the choices, town staff worked with Johnson to curate four groups of the highest rated pieces that were rated according to budget, availability, materials and size.
Group members then rated the four different groups again and four finalists were chosen. Artists were then contacted by the Public Art Working Group to secure art for a spring installation that also allows for Otto Baum and Normal Parks and Recreation staff to create concrete bases for the pieces.
The purchased artwork includes:
- “In and Out of the Blue” by Dann Nardi of Normal;
- “American Kestrel” by Shawn A. Hensley of Champaign;
- “Whorled” by Nicole Beck of Chicago; and
- “Happy, Happy, Happy” by Jeremy Burdette of Bartonville.
