The village of Oak Park recently began hosting its seventh annual sculpture walk, and everyone is invited to walk through the community and enjoy outdoor public art.
This year, the walk features 12 sculptures in an exhibit stretching between Van Buren and Lexington streets, along Oak Park Avenue. The annual event is organized by the Oak Park Area Arts Council.
A juried competition was held to choose the pieces for the art show, which features pieces made of various materials. Some are even interactive, giving people a chance to “play” with the sculptures.
One interactive piece is ‘Monolith’ by Zach Balousek. When visitors push against the sculpture, liquid within the piece flows through a number of air chambers, which pushes the air and provides wind that causes 12 pipes inside the sculpture to whistle. People who are interested can find Balousek’s work at 828 South Oak Park Avenue.
Another interactive sculpture, ‘Butterfly’ by Tia Etu, can be found nearby, at 840 South Oak Park Avenue. A whimsical work, ‘Gourd Man 3’ by Shencheng Xu, is located at 910 South Oak Park Avenue.
The Otocast app, which visitors can download to their phones, provides information about the sculptures and the artists who created them.
The sculptures will be available through Labor Day 2018. Although an app is available, event organizers might consider working with brochure printers to create a booklet about the works, especially for people who may not have a smartphone.
