A life-sized, framed photograph of white blossoms by Michael Zidman takes up nearly an entire wall at the West Deerfield Township office on Deerfield Road.
“We think it’s beautiful. It adds color to the office,” said Alyson Feiger, West Deerfield Township supervisor. “It’s nice for the artists to have their work in a public space.”
The township office is one of a number of local government buildings featuring sculptures, photographs, quilts, fiber art, watercolor paintings and other works created by local artists and placed indoors for the public to view.
Artists submitted their works for consideration last year when Deerfield started a new public art program. A second round of submissions was due July 6. And even though the number of submissions is slightly lower than last year, village management analyst David Fitzgerald said the community and local artists are embracing the program, and he expects public art to expand in the community.
In addition, the Village Board is expected to approve in August an amendment to a zoning ordinance asking new developers to add public art components to their projects, Fitzgerald said.
Deerfield has enjoyed public art before the new program began, said Fitzgerald, pointing out permanent sculptures in front of Village Hall, the library and downtown.
The Deerfield Fine Arts Commission suggested creating a public art program to increase the visibility of local artists as well as add more works throughout the village, according to Jeffrey Marks, chairman of the commission.
“Studies show that communities that support the arts are communities that are thriving, growing, and it improves the quality of life of the communities,” he said.
The commission learned about a community on the West Coast that invited artists to submit art work to display for a year and decided Deerfield should try that, he said.
Artists submit proposals and entries; the commission chooses the pieces and then works with various building supervisors to determine which pieces will work best in different spaces. The works are on display at Village Hall, the Patty Turner Center, Jewett Park Community Center, Deerfield Public Library, West Deerfield Township office, Deerfield public works building and the Deerfield-Bannockburn-Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce.
“We started with government buildings. Sometimes they can be a little drab,” said Fitzgerald, adding that he enjoys walking into work at Village Hall and seeing sculptures and fiber art.
Marks said some local businesses have asked to be included in the program, and the commission will consider their requests.
Several pieces can be found throughout the Deerfield Public Library, including in the quiet room, where Ethan Rosen of Deerfield was studying recently.
“It’s a beautiful watercolor,” he said of an abstract piece called “Trees” by Caren Kaplan that hung on the formerly bare wall above him.
The library has “a lot of wall space” available to display art, said Claire Steiner, the library’s head of adult services. “We’re a public library and it’s part of our job to be purveyors of public art.”
Adult services librarian Madeline Dahlman said her favorite pieces are in the library’s quiet room.
“They have bright colors,” she explained. “The natural light in the room brings them out.”
She hopes the library will receive even more public art to display in the program’s second year.
The Fine Arts Commission is reviewing the second round of submissions and will select pieces to be displayed in September to replace those on view now. As with last year, the village will hold an art show, likely in the public library, with the new pieces before they get moved to their new spaces.
Fitzgerald said changing the art work every year makes sense.
“The artists are gracious enough to loan their pieces to us for a year. Anything longer than that is a lot to ask of them,” he said. “Plus it’s nice that it keeps changing and we can bring notice to other local artists.”
Artists enjoy the possibility of making sales, he continued, which is why the village wants each piece seen by the public labeled with information on contacting the artist. At the September art show last year, an artist was approached by a member of the public about selling her work, he noted.
Marks said the public art program is an expansion of art programs already in place in Deerfield, including an annual fine arts festival. The village purchases a work of art at the festival each year to be permanently displayed in Village Hall, he said.
Marks said this year the Fine Arts Commission asked the village Plan Commission to consider adding an amendment to a zoning ordinance requiring new construction plans to include public art components.
One example the builders could emulate is the streetscape with sculptures at the southwest corner of Deerfield and Waukegan roads, Fitzgerald said.
“I don’t think the amendment will be very controversial,” he said. “The plan and fine arts commissions recommend it. Both are requesting approval from the board.”
A virtual tour of the villages’ public art work can be viewed online: http://www.gisconsortium.org/WebApps/StoryMaps/vdf/publicartimages/maptour/index.html#http://www.gisconsortium.org/WebApps/StoryMaps/vdf/publicartimages/maptour/index.html%23
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
