'Yarn-bombing' decorates Naperville sculptures

First came photo-bombing. Now there's yarn-bombing.

The practice of adorning public art or public places with knit scarves or sweaters has moved into Naperville this winter with about 15 sculptures installed by the nonprofit Century Walk Corp. sporting yarn-based accessories, Chairman Brand Bobosky said Wednesday.

"It's a gentle form of adorning our public art," Bobosky said about the addition of scarves and sweaters to pieces such as "The Cat in the Hat" and "Reading Children" near Nichols Library, "Veterans' Valor" at the entrance to Central Park and "A Lifetime Together" at Jackson Avenue and Main Street near the Riverwalk. "We don't solicit it, but if somebody notices some of our work and wants to enhance it, I think that's OK."

This is the second year someone has given scarves to sculptures in Naperville, and it could be part of a larger pop art phenomenon. A yarn-bombing display also cropped up on water fountains and bike racks in downtown Batavia on Valentine's Day.

Bobosky said Century Walk leaders think they know who is behind some or all of the so-called yarn-bombing in Naperville and they're pleased with the seasonal enhancement. He said most people who notice the colorful additions to the bronze-hued sculptures see the scarves and sweaters as a "cute" temporary feature.

"This is a way, from our perspective, of picking up and calling attention to the public art we have in place," Bobosky said. "In the throes of winter, in the winter we've had, isn't it kind of neat to get something that maybe calls your attention to the warmer days ahead?"