Normal Town Council approves $69,750 purchase of four sculptures for 1 Normal Plaza

The Normal Town Council voted to approve a resolution authorizing the town to acquire four permanent pieces of public art for a planned sculpture garden at 1 Normal Plaza for a total of $69,750.

Council approved the resolution after a presentation from town cultural staff and representatives of the McLean County Arts Center detailing the selection process, proposed works, maintenance plans and a proposed installation timeline that organizers say aims to coincide with the town’s Route 66 centennial events in 2026.

Town Cultural Director Beth Wissman and Doug Johnson, head of the McLean County Arts Center, described a public-art working group that began in 2019 and issued a request for qualifications in August. Organizers said they received 20 artist submissions from across the country and narrowed candidates through a community-involved selection matrix. The group recommended a first phase of four works for purchase and permanent installation in the green space at 1 Normal Plaza.

One selected work, “In and Out of the Blue,” is by local sculptor Dan Nardi; the committee described it as a blue-stained concrete piece about 2½ feet tall that invites interaction. The council packet and presenters also described a colorful, human-scaled piece called “World” (photographs shown from an outdoor display in Chicago), a large bird sculpture roughly 9 feet tall, and a narrative metal work from Sugar Creek Festival artist Jeremy Burdett. Presenters said all selected artists are based in Illinois and that the pieces were chosen with attention to durability, maintenance and public engagement.

Wissman said the request for qualifications specified budgets and that some submissions were well outside the project budget, but that the call generated a healthy, competitive pool. Doug Johnson and town staff described discussions about siting, sight lines, installation logistics and routine maintenance. Organizers told the council that artists will provide care plans as part of their contracts and that most materials selected are intended for outdoor use and do not require specialized frequent care; the presenters said pigment in the concrete piece is integrated into the material rather than surface-applied.

Councilmembers asked about the economic rationale and maintenance costs. Presenters said public art signals cultural investment, can attract visitors and businesses and may help leverage future grants and private donations. The presenters cited an Americans for the Arts figure (described to the council as about $35 per person in non-ticket spending associated with cultural events) and emphasized this project was intended as a modest pilot to build a longer-term collection.

Organizers outlined next steps: contract execution with the artists, scheduling deliveries and on-site installation (some demolition and landscaping work was already underway), final in-house work on sidewalks and benches planned for the spring, and artist-led public engagement opportunities during installation. Presenters named Autobahn as the contractor expected to start initial concrete and specialty paving work "any day now." They said the project’s public reveal is being timed to align with Route 66 centennial activities at 1 Normal Plaza.

On a roll-call vote, the council recorded unanimous support for the resolution. The council then moved to adjourn to executive session on personnel matters.

Votes at a glance: Resolution to authorize purchase of four pieces of permanent art for the planned sculpture garden at 1 Normal Plaza — Approved (yes: Missus Lorenz; Mister Robersh; Miss Smith; Mister McCarthy; Mister Preston; Mayor Coos).