Last year it was birdhouses, this year it will be coolers.
The La Grange Business Association has selected coolers as the public art project for 2017.
“It’s going to be a usable piece of art,” said Nancy Cummings, executive director of the business association, which has purchased 30 coolers made of pine and lined with air insulated metal.
The coolers, which will be able to keep drinks cool for up to eight hours, will be decorated by local artists. The coolers are 35 inches tall, 31 inches wide and 20 inches deep.
The coolers will be displayed in front of sponsoring businesses and nonprofit associations in the central business district.
This is the 12th year that the La Grange has organized a summer art display. Previous years have featured such items as rocking chairs, rain barrels and elephants.
This year’s art display has been dubbed “Cooler in La Grange.”
Sandra Law, manager of Anderson’s Book Shop in La Grange, said the store plans to decorate one of the coolers for display near their store.
Law, and her husband, Larry, who are both artists, will paint the cooler. Sandra Law said a recent visit to Colorado may inspire the decoration of their cooler.
“I have a feeling it’s going to include mountains,” she said.
Cummings said she thinks the coolers, which were made in the Chicago area, will be a popular choice.
“We had a prototype set up on the sidewalk and two separate groups stopped and said, ‘Oh. Is that going to be the art project?’ They were enthusiastic,” Cummings said.
The exhibit, which features the work of both professional and amateur artists, is intended to draw attention to the local art scene and to entice visitors to explore the community.
“It gets local residents excited and piques their interest. By now, it’s a tradition,” she said.
The coolers will be sealed to protect against the effects of weather and will be placed on display in late May, before the Pet Parade on Saturday, June 3.
The coolers will be auctioned off during the West End Art Festival, which will take place on Sept. 9 and 10. The proceeds will benefit local charities.
Cummings also said the business association will provide walking maps of the coolers’ locations so people can see them.
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