Naperville's new public-private ArtForum to unveil new artwork at Nichols Library

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

A new public-private nonprofit devised to help Naperville expand its repertoire of public art is officially live.
Dubbed 'ArtForum: The Naperville Partnership for Public Arts,' the initiative launched last month and will unveil the first new artwork with which it's been involved Wednesday at Naperville's downtown Nichols Library branch.
'It's going to be our coming out party, in a way,' said Michael Gold, a Naperville resident and chair of ArtForum's executive board.
The venture has been more than a year in the making.
For nearly three decades, soliciting and producing public art in Naperville had been the work of nonprofit Century Walk Corp. But after relations began to strain between Century Walk and the city — and the organization itself faced internal changes as well — Naperville started to chart a new path forward.
Last September, early plans for a reinvigorated public art program were laid out at a meeting of the city's Special Events and Community Arts Commission. The cornerstone was a public-private partnership that would help the city solicit public art projects, similar to what Naperville has had for years with the Naperville Development Partnership, which promotes city business interests.
About a month and a half ago, ArtForum secured its 501(c)3 nonprofit tax status, according to Gold. '(We've) been really getting all our ducks in a row' to secure that so they could capitalize on as many funding opportunities — grants, for instance — as possible, he said.
'We're just going to do our best to find as many funds as we can that absolutely do not turn back on the city,' Gold said. 'We don't want this to be a burden on taxpayers. The worst thing that can happen for public art is that the community feels that money is being spent somewhere that it shouldn't be.
'Art should be enjoyed. It should be appreciated. It should build a community. … It should tell our stories. It should reflect who we are, and the minute it becomes what dollars were spent on, it kind of sullies all of that a little bit.'
ArtForum is led by a five-member executive board. It also recently formed a 20-person community advisory board.
Asked how ArtForum will go about facilitating public art in town, Gold said the process will be a mix of seeking artists for projects the organization has in mind and artists pitching their own ideas. On its website, there is a submission form for public art proposals.
'What we're really trying to do is be the conduit between the artist and the community,' he said. 'In doing that, it's helping to find funding, helping to find locations, helping to find a venue. … That's really what our philosophy is at this point.'
ArtForum's first community event Wednesday is the unveiling of works created by Naperville artist Richard Lo as part of a larger, county-wide art initiative.
This summer, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art at the College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center is presenting a new exhibit entitled, 'Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection.' The exhibit, which will run through Sept. 21, will immerse guests in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868). The collection features 53 paintings and woodblock prints by the masters of ukiyo-e, a major artistic genre that flourished during the Edo period.
In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum partnered with Lo to create ukiyo-e style images showcasing the cities and villages that make up DuPage County.
Lo, reached over the phone, said he made 37 pieces in all for the initiative, called 'Waves of DuPage: Beautiful Cities.' Works highlight distinctive locations in each participating municipality, which ranged from Naperville to Hanover Park. For Naperville, Lo highlighted four places: Dandelion Fountain, Millennium Carillon, the Naperville Riverwalk Covered Bridge and the city's downtown along Jefferson Street, Lo said.
The pieces will be displayed in windows at Nichols Library. Wednesday's unveiling ceremony begins at 5 p.m.
ArtForum will be there to commemorate the occasion because it helped bring Naperville's participation in the county project to fruition, Gold said.
Looking ahead, ArtForum is currently eying its next venture. The nonprofit has put out a call for artists to fashion a new mural that will be installed on the side of the downtown Lima Brex building at 220 S. Main St. Any artists or artist teams interested in applying can submit a brief description of their proposed work and a rough mural sketch to [e-mail]. The deadline to apply is July 18. The chosen mural will be displayed from October through next April.
Gold, who grew up in Naperville, said what ArtForum plans to do — and his being a part of those plans — is 'very exciting.'
'I have always been in awe of the commitment that the city and the community has had for art,' he said. 'From the sculptures to the paintings to the murals to everything that's up around town, it's obvious that people work hard and believe in those pieces. And to be a part of organizations that help facilitate that in town, it's quite an honor.'
Naperville City Clerk Dawn Portner, who is also a founding member of ArtForum, echoed Gold.
'I can't wait to see what (ArtForum) is going to do,' she said. 'I think the future is just going to be amazing.'