Giant bugs arrive in Naperville; Don't panic, they're just sculptures

If this was Hollywood, we'd be calling it The Invasion of the Giant Bugs!

But it's Naperville, dahling, so really, we must be much more reserved.

Let us, then, simply mention that about 40 United Way sculptures of oversized insects and frogs have arrived and will be made available starting at 9 a.m. Monday to eager artists who will decorate them for public display.

The sculptures are part of Naperville United Way's annual outdoor art project that this year is based on a "Garden Party" theme.

The decorated Fiberglas sculptures will be on display from roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day in downtown. They'll be auctioned Sept. 12 with the hope of raising more than $100,000 for United Way charities.

If it all sounds vaguely familiar, well, it should. This is the eighth year the United Way has used sculptures to draw attention to its charitable efforts and to generate cash to support them.

It all started in 2001 with the wildly popular Baby Giraffe Walk and since has included sculpture displays of almost everything from bears and barnyard animals to dragons and dolphins.

This year's exhibit features lady bugs, frogs, dragonflies and butterflies that will be attached to chairs, benches, birdbaths and playhouses that organizers hope will slip easily into almost any garden.

The sculptures arrived unadorned this week and are being kept under bug netting at Jackson Moving & Storage, 740 Frontenac Road.

United Way officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Earlier this year, though, Executive Director Susan Fritz said organizers spent a great deal of time deciding on the perfect pieces for this year's event.

Artists who decorate the works, for example, want pieces that offer a broad canvas for their creativity. Merchants and sponsors want sculptures that attract large crowds. And the people who buy the art at auction want something that blends into their garden.

"We wanted pieces that would appeal to kids but be sophisticated enough to appeal at auction," Fritz said at that time.

Details about this year's Garden Party are available at www.NapervilleUnitedWay.org. A souvenir guide will be published in June with pictures of the sculptures and a map showing their locations.