As a teenager, Dave Powers remembers driving over the old Kimball Street bridge in downtown Elgin and looking out on the Fox River, where an American flag made of concrete stood on Walton Island.
“For years it was something you would see on the north point of the island,” said Powers, 52, an Elgin artist. “Then the point eroded and the flag fell apart and fell into the water.”
That happened during the Vietnam War, perhaps the nadir for patriotism in the U.S.
The concrete flag was never replaced, but its memory always stuck with Powers.
So when the city decided to focus on revitalizing the riverfront, Powers decided it was time to bring back Old Glory.
Powers has made sure his new flag will stand the test of time. The 10-by-18-foot flag is made of four detachable aluminum panels mounted onto a steel frame and pole. The entire sculpture weighs 7,000 pounds.
“I designed it specifically so that it can always be maintained,” Powers said.
The flag, which cost about $120,000, will be unveiled during a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, Flag Day, at the north end of Walton Island.
Planning and fundraising for the sculpture began more than two years ago when a group of Elgin-area artists formed the not-for-profit Outside Exhibition Group to increase visual arts in the city. It aims to organize sculpture competitions and provide artists with opportunities to exhibit their work.
“We wanted an initial project that everyone could relate to,” said Milt Evans Jr., the group’s treasurer.
“Our idea for the flag is pre-9/11, and that only reinforces all the reasons to have a new symbol of support,” Evans said.
The city approved the flag and donated $75,000. Private donors and fundraising events over the last two years funded the rest, while more money will be raised to pay for a placard at the flag’s base and lights to illuminate the sculpture at night.
