Another sculpture abused in St. Charles
An attempt to make art flourish in St. Charles was squashed recently by the second act of vandalism on a piece of public art in less than five months.
The latest occurred sometime between the night of Sept. 29 and the afternoon on Sept. 30 when St. Charles Park District staff noticed a sculpture named "Flourish" had been bent in half.
The 4-foot tall, stainless steel sculpture, part of an ongoing exhibit at Mount St. Mary's Park, depicts several birds connected at the wings.
In May, a sculpture entitled "Winged Crawler" was ripped off its base and stolen completely.
The Downtown St. Charles Partnership asked for increased security and police patrols at the park following that theft, but it wasn't enough to deter a second crime.
Police have still not caught the thief in the "Winged Crawler" incident, and a $1,000 reward for any information still remains active in that case.
A new reward of $600 is being offered for information on the vandalism of the "Flourish" piece, which police valued at $8,000.
The artist who created the sculpture, John Slavik of unincorporated Wheaton, told police he's unsure how much time and money it will require to repair it. Slavik could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call St. Charles Police at (630) 377-4435 and ask for an investigator.