'Timeless Tags' memorial to be unveiled in St. Charles
Owners who have lost a pet soon will be able to honor the memory of their furry friends at a new public art memorial in St. Charles.
The dog-shaped sculpture, called "Timeless Tags," contains dozens of welded loops that allow community members to attach personalized tags in memory of their pets who have died. The interactive artwork serves as the centerpiece of a new landscaped plaza at Delnor Woods Park along Route 25.
Spearheaded by the St. Charles Park Foundation, the dog memorial project has been in the works for nearly five years, said Treasurer Vanessa Bell-LaSota, project committee chairwoman. It will be unveiled during a dedication ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
"People can actually do something with this sculpture and be there and experience it by not just walking past, but by having a seat and thinking about all the pets they've loved," she said. "This is something for all ages that all ages can understand."
The foundation is the St. Charles Park District entity that oversees all donated park memorials, she said, but it has never initiated one of its own. A dog memorial hit home for Bell-LaSota and foundation President Julie Miller-Longo, who both had recently lost their family pets when they began brainstorming ideas.
"We found a real common thread that most people are still grieving a pet," Bell-LaSota said.
The concept, loosely based on the "love locks" in Europe, is unique to Illinois and could hold deep meaning for community members who participate, she said. Though the theme centers around dogs, the memorial also is intended for cats or any other pets.
The sculpture was handcrafted by St. Charles artist and longtime resident Doug Eageny, who said he spent about 100 hours on the project. It is able to hold thousands of pet tags, with a goal of making the dog's coat bigger and more colorful over time.
"I've lost a couple pets, so I know what people go through," Eageny said. "It's a part of their family. It's emotional. So I was all on board for trying to get this to come to fruition.
"I think it gives people who are mourning the loss of a dog an opportunity to finalize (its death) and know that other people are going through the same thing."
The sculpture sits atop a concrete pedestal that can hold roughly 100 bronze plaques of various sizes, reserved for sponsors, Bell-LaSota said. The plaza also includes benches, flowers and plantings, and pathways to the memorial.
Visitors to this weekend's dedication ceremony are encouraged to bring a pet tag for the sculpture. The first 100 guests will receive a dog toy.
The foundation plans to host a dog-themed event each year at the memorial to "keep the momentum going," Bell-LaSota said. "This is just going to grow for many years to come."