Sea sculptures will wait week to surface
May 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
By Jill Jedlowskijjedlowski@dailyherald.com
Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The usual Memorial Day weekend debut of the Naperville United Way?s annual outdoor public art campaign has been bumped back a week this year.
The first sculptures in the seventh annual ?Under the Sea? campaign will hit downtown streets June 1, said Deena Manna, assistant director of the Naperville United Way.
The popular summertime display throughout the central business district is a major fundraiser for the United Way. The pieces will be auctioned Sept. 14, with proceeds going to numerous area agencies.
To date, the effort, which began in 2001, has generated almost $800,000 for programs supported by United Way.
An extra week was built into the time frame this year because the raw sculptures arrived a little later than expected. Local artists needed a full six weeks to apply the final touches ? paint, tile, embellishments and all ? on the 51 sculptures in the collection. It?s a job that can?t be rushed, Manna said.
The pieces include sea turtles, mermaids and dolphins. Some of the statues also double as chairs and birdbaths.
Select folks will get a sneak peek at the finished products May 31 at an invitation-only preview party. ?That?s when we get all the oohs and ahhs, and people get to meet the artists,? Manna said.
The artistic variety and creativity among this year?s creations are said to be stunning. ?These are absolutely gorgeous pieces,? Manna said. ?I don?t even know where people come up with these ideas. They?re awesome.?
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