College of DuPage Donates Sculpture for Glen Ellyn Park

As a goodwill gesture and a continued sign of their improved relationship with the village of Glen Ellyn, College of DuPage officials recently donated one of the pieces in its permanent art collection to be installed at Panfish Park in the Village Arboretum.

Chicago artist Mike Baur's “Conduit 15” was removed from the Glen Ellyn campus last week for installation this spring. The steel and concrete sculpture was purchased in 1991 for $18,000 and is one of a series of conduit pieces Baur created in the mid-1980s. The sculpture appraised for $25,000 in 2006.

“Our campus has undergone a tremendous transformation and this sculpture, while still artistically relevant, no longer fits with our overall aesthetic,” College of DuPage President Robert L. Breuder said. “We were pleased to find this work a new home where members of the public, particularly Glen Ellyn residents, can continue to enjoy Baur's creation.”

The sculpture features stacked concrete cylinders in between sections of I-beams fastened together at slight angles, appearing ready to collapse. The 11 ½-foot by 8-feet, 3-inch structure had been located near the McAninch Arts Center and the Berg Instructional Center, both of which are part of extensive on-going renovation plans.

Glen Ellyn Assistant Village Manager Kristen Schrader said a concrete pad will be poured in the next few weeks in anticipation of the installation of the sculpture. Village leaders plan to officially unveil and dedicate “Conduit 15” on Saturday, May 12, in recognition of Arbor Day.

“The village president and village manager are excited about this gift,” she said. “We want to thank the College, the artist, and everyone else involved in this process as we look forward to seeing the sculpture added to Panfish Park.”