College of DuPage is inviting visitors to walk among the greats of American culture this summer in a free outdoor art exhibition that ties into the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.
“Walking with Giants” features 10 larger-than-life silhouette paintings of Americans who have made significant contributions to the arts in music, theater and dance.
“One of the greatest exports from our country has been culture,” said Justin Witte, curator of the free exhibit on the grounds of the Glen Ellyn school. “So many amazing artists have come out of the United States.
“I was thinking, if we’re talking about these larger-than-life figures in the history of arts in the country, what if we made larger-than-life portraits of them that existed throughout the area surrounding the arts center, peeking up over the hills and around trees. We could have local artists paint them and share information about the artists so it becomes a walking sculptural tour.”
McAninch Arts Center and Cleve Carney Museum of Art joined forces with the College of DuPage Foundation in presenting the exhibition, which runs through Oct. 18.
“So many of these artists and dancers and individuals from theater and music were from all different parts of the country and from different positions in life. But they were able to find themselves in places of such prominence because part of our history as a country is that if you are doing something innovative or fresh or new, you have the opportunity to become this cultural giant.”
The 10 artists depicted are visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, playwright and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, singer Aretha Franklin, painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell, painter Georgia O’Keeffe, musical theater composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, composer John Williams, and choreographer/dancer Bob Fosse.
The decision of who to include was made in conjunction with survey feedback from College of DuPage faculty and the MAC community, Witte said.
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Mural artists Rich Lo, of Naperville, and Judith Mayer, of Chicago, were selected to design and create the works. The team at the college and the museum constructed 7- to 10-foot-tall silhouettes of the famous figures and installed them around campus. Maps are available to direct visitors to where the artworks are located and provide information about each of the figures represented.
“I think it’s a great testament to creativity and allowing ideas to take root and grow, which is also behind so many of the artists we’re featuring in the show … they’ve had those opportunities too,” Witte said. “What I also like is that it is free and accessible. It’s outside so anytime from sunup to sundown you can come see these.”
With the McAninch Arts Center and Cleve Carney Museum offering free summer programming, it’s hoped that guests check out the exhibit before heading into the air-conditioned arts center to take in things as the free photography exhibit called “Saturday Man.”
“It’s a wonderful show of photographs that were taken of the culture surrounding soccer for the last five decades by a world-famous soccer photographer, in line with the World Cup,” Witte said.
Guests could also make an evening out of it by lining up a visit with one of the concerts offered through the Lakeside Pavilion Free Outdoor Summer Series. The free performances are presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 8 to Aug. 6 at the Lakeside Pavilion, behind the McAninch Arts Center, where a lot of the paintings are located, Witte said.
“There’s food and a beer tent so you could really make a whole evening of it,” he said. “And this summer, I think that’s a big appeal to families so I’m glad we’re able to offer it to our community.”
College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd. For more information, go to www.theccma.org/walking-with-giants.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.