Hearts take shape for downtown Naperville summer sculptures
When sculptures start appearing on downtown sidewalks, it's a clear sign of summer in Naperville.
For the past three years, painted Fiberglass figurines in the shape of classic coupes and convertibles, golf balls and open books have decorated downtown, courtesy of artists, businesses and the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
This year, starting June 9, the sculptures will be in the shape of hearts.
The plays on words possible with a heart theme were too much to resist in the annual promotional effort, said Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
"Given there is so much to love about downtown Naperville and downtown is located in the heart of Naperville, it seemed like a great choice this year," she said.
The alliance displayed sculptures in the winter from 2012 to 2014, choosing shapes of snowmen, gingerbread cookies and trains, before deciding to switch to the warm weather months.
The original idea for a sculpture display came from the former Naperville United Way, which spent eight summers in the 2000s displaying the likes of dragons, bears and giraffes before auctioning them for charity.
Locations for this year's hearts were approved Tuesday by the city council. Eighteen will be placed atop concrete bases along Chicago, Jackson, Jefferson and Van Buren avenues and Water, Webster, Main and Washington streets. Past sculpture programs have included between 15 and 25 pieces each year.
Recent council discussions about the width of passable pedestrian space next to downtown sidewalk cafes led city staff members to walk the route and evaluate the effect the sculptures would have before recommending approval.
The hearts are 52 inches tall, 52 inches wide and 10 inches deep, smaller than the "book benches" set up on sidewalks last year, which artists painted to show scenes from popular literature including "Harry Potter" and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
Wood said the hearts will be outside for all to love from their June unveiling until mid-September.