Dwight and Ruth Yackley, owners of BBM Incorporated and developers of Main Street Promenade, once again have enhanced the Naperville community with new pieces of art in public spaces. Two 16-foot-high suspended sculptures now hang in the atriums at Main Street Promenade, created by sculptor and Neuqua Valley High School fine arts teacher Steve Jones.
The indoor pieces are bringing a touch of modernism to Naperville’s eclectic mix of publicly viewed art. The sculptures feature gracefully connected, uplifting geometric shapes, fabricated to reflect the materials, architectural design, and arches within the building itself.
The steel sculptures include bronze-powder-coated and bright nickel-plated surfaces. The warm nickel plating plays off the dark metallic bronze, creating a strong visual contrast and nice artistic movement in the pieces.
“The developers created a multi-dimensional space at Main Street Promenade,” Jones explained. “And the venue is emblematic of the larger community. It has a sense of energy. People from all walks of life pass through the halls every day.”
The first sculpture was installed on January 8. “I titled it Shiver – like when you meet someone new or have a new opportunity,” said Jones. “That positive shiver of excitement!”
The second piece was installed on January 14 and is titled Pulse.
The sculptures were created by the artist in the Neuqua Valley High School Fine Arts Department workshop. Jones credits several other craftsmen, materials experts, his students, and his wife, Janie, for their help and support throughout the project.
To learn more about Steve Jones and his artwork, visit www.stevejonesart.com.
For more information about Main Street Promonade,visit www.mainstreetpromenade.com.
Did you know?
Dwight and Ruth Yackley have long been supporters of public art in Naperville. The 10th piece dedicated by Century Walk, a bronze sculpture titled Genevieve, is located outside their development at Washington Corners, near the entrance to Barnes and Noble. The Yackleys also worked with artist Jeff Adams to create the 22nd Century Walk piece, a bronze fountain titled Symbiotic Sojourn, which is in the archway at Main Street Promenade. In addition, the developers financed the book, Century Walk: Art Imitating History, which highlights the first 35 pieces of public art in Naperville; as well as the fifth printing in 1990 of Genevieve Towsley’s collection of columns from the Naperville Sun, “A View of Historic Naperville from the Sky-Lines.”
Story contributed by Jini Clare
