Pictured above is “Chinese Kite Festival,” a public art project commissioned by the Naperville Special Events and Community Arts Commission (SECA), now located on the south wall of the DuPage Children’s Museum, 301 N. Washington Street. On Sept. 21, Naperville resident and artist Rich Lo’s first brush strokes were presented during a public ceremony organized by Chinese American Women in Action, DCM and SECA to celebrate the collaboration. The City of Naperville now has reviewed and released feedback gathered in the community-wide Public Art Survey that attracted 571 respondents in October 2024. (PN Photo by A. Penick)
City of Naperville Report
The City of Naperville recently surveyed residents to better understand the community’s perspectives about future public art. Conducted in October, the survey aimed to gather insights into the preferred styles, themes, and locations for public art, helping to shape future projects that align with the community’s vision.
The survey results provided a comprehensive look at the survey respondents’ views on the role of public art in Naperville, revealing strong support for nature-inspired and interactive art projects placed throughout the city. Survey respondents showed high enthusiasm for public art that reflects Naperville’s diversity and encourages community engagement. They also expressed a desire to expand art installations beyond the downtown area.
Opportunities for consideration include incorporating more temporary and interactive art and exploring alternative funding options, such as sponsorships. Some of the survey’s key findings include:
- Role of public art. Most respondents believe public art should spark creativity and joy (82%). Other important roles include fostering community pride and diversity (66%) and celebrating Naperville’s history (66%).
- Interest in public art. Nearly half of the respondents (45%) highly value public art and believe it is essential to a community. Another 44% value public art and consider it to be important.
- Preferred locations for public art are downtown and parks. Downtown and commercial areas (91%) ranked highest for public art placement, followed by parks and green spaces (76%).
Please note that survey respondents could select multiple answers to certain questions, so percentages may exceed 100%.
“We appreciate all community members who took the time to participate in our public art survey,” said City Clerk Dawn Portner. “Now we better understand the community’s interest in public art projects. It’s exciting to be able to use these insights to help create future public art in the community.”
This survey included fewer than 20 questions and took about five minutes to complete. Open-ended responses, currently under review, will be analyzed to identify additional themes and insights for future projects. Naperville used Polco, a civic engagement platform used by local governments, to conduct the survey. View the survey results at naperville.il.us/public-art-survey.
For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us.
Editor’s Notes / Naperville’s interest in art in public places, aka “public art,” has been growing since the mid-1990s when Century Walk Corporation took center stage with plans to celebrate local history via sculptures, reliefs, murals and mosaics. First up in 1996, Century Walk recognized the Naperville Municipal Band that’s been around since 1859 on the US Bank building located at 136 S. Washington Street.
Since its inception, Century Walk Corporation has been funded in part by the City of Naperville, at first via the Hotel-Motel Tax then by the Special Events and Community Arts Fund (SECA and formerly called Special Events and Cultural Amenities, funded by a portion of the City’s food and beverage tax). Century Walk also has been funded always in concert with private dollars and sponsoring organizations.
Pictured here is a newest Century Walk mural titled “Faith Hope and Charity.” The 10′ x 15′ work of art by Naperville artist Marianne Lisson Kuhn was sponsored and funded by the Naperville Freemasons to reflect the fraternity’s 175th anniversary in Naperville. Installed on Nov. 10, 2024, the updated mural, similar to the previous one, is included among 40-plus Century Walk locations in downtown Naperville.
For a look at Century Walk art at more than 50 locations, visit centurywalk-artguide.org.
Again, for more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us.
