The Park Ridge Historical Society is hoping to become the latest leader of a temporary public art installation.
“Fire Trucks on Parade,” a proposal featuring a series of painted fire truck sculptures placed at several city locations, largely around Uptown, was presented to the Park Ridge City Council on Feb. 22.
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Cheryl Williams, president of the Park Ridge Historical Society, explained that the exhibit, through sponsorships, will help raise money for the society and its efforts to complete restoration of a 1934 Pirsch fire truck that once belonged to the Park Ridge Fire Department.
“It’s a fundraiser and we also wanted to bring awareness of the fire truck to the community,” Williams explained.
The Pirsch was acquired by the historical society in 2020. There are hopes to include it in the Park Ridge Memorial Day Parade this year, Williams said.
The truck sculptures, each measuring 30 inches tall and 58 inches long, would be decorated with an image from Park Ridge history and contain a plaque with some historical information, Williams explained. The trucks are large enough that children would be able to sit in them, the historical society’s proposal said.
The current plan calls for 10 trucks, which the historical society would like to be displayed from May through October.
The exhibit requires a legal agreement between the historical society and city that must be approved by the Park Ridge City Council, said City Manager Joe Gilmore. This has not yet occurred.
During the council’s Feb. 22 meeting, Aldermen Rick Biagi and Fred Sanchez expressed concerns about trucks potentially containing advertisements if a business puts their name on it or identifies as a sponsor on a plaque next to it.
Advertising is prohibited under the council’s public art policy.
Biagi referenced the photo example of a painted fire truck that the historical society submitted to the City Council, which shows the name of a bank prominently displayed.
“That was just an example of how they are going to look painted,” Williams said, explaining that including company names is not the intent of the exhibit.
Sanchez inferred that advertising occurred last year when the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a temporary public art installation of decorated stars around the city.
Fifth Ward Ald. Charlie Melidosian said he did not believe a plaque declaring the name of the sponsor would constitute commercial advertising if that is part of the exhibit.
At the conclusion of the art exhibit, each of the sculptures will be auctioned off at a historical society gala event, Williams said.
Last year’s temporary public art display, “Park Ridge Shines Brightly,” featured a series of painted, fiberglass stars around the city’s Uptown and South Park business districts. The project was a fundraiser for the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce.