Boats on parade in downtown Algonquin

Sixteen fiberglass sailboat sculptures are on display throughout downtown Algonquin, including one in Algonquin Commons shopping center, marking the 10th anniversary of the village's Public Art Program.

The idea is similar to Chicago's "Cows on Parade," Village Planner Ben Mason said.

"The selection of a boat was in recognition of boating along the Fox River," Mason said. "The sailboat provided a nice canvas for artists to use to design."

Algonquin's "Ships Set Sail" exhibit runs May through October. All but one of the boats is now installed, primarily along the Fox River, Mason said.

The goal of Algonquin's Public Art Program, established in 2005, is to celebrate public spaces and the talent of local artists, Mason said.

The boat sculptures are sponsored and designed by local businesses and artists.

Each year, the Algonquin Arts Commission organizes a public art exhibit that has been a combination of indoor and outdoor artworks.

"The majority of pieces have been indoor paintings, photographs," Mason said. "(The commission) wanted to make a bigger impact on the community by doing an outdoor sculpture exhibit, and also attract residents and visitors to the downtown area this summer to see the sailboats."

There will be a launch party and open house from 6 to 8 p.m. May 21 at village hall, 2 S. Main St. Plaques will be placed next to each sculpture bearing the name of the artwork, sponsor and artist.

Businesss sponsors commissioned artists from Algonquin and surrounding communities and even as far away as Wisconsin, or had their own employees design the sailboats in-house, Mason said.

"There is a tremendous amount of creativity in the various designs," he said. "There's two art studios on Main Street - River Arts Studio and David Drew Ink - that were commissioned by some businesses to do the designs."

The Congregational Church of Algonquin, Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District and Algonquin Area Public Library had a member, firefighter and employee, respectively, design their boats.

Visitors attending the open house can pick up an exhibit brochure and take a self-guided walk through downtown to see the sailboats. Light refreshments will be served at the kickoff event and many participating sponsors and artists will be on hand to talk about their artwork. Several businesses will be open late that evening, and the Algonquin Historic and Public Arts commissions will have informational tables set up inside village hall.

A map of the boat display sites and list of participating businesses is available at algonquin.org/ships.