Waddle into downtown Naperville this summer and there’ll be whimsy aplenty.
Sure to quack a smile.
Downtown Naperville Alliance’s annual sculpture series returns in June, once again adorning city streets with specially painted sculptures through the summer months.
This year’s theme: “DUCKS!”
In all, 18 duck sculptures are flocking to downtown for this year’s installment of the series. They will be on display from June 2 through August, according to Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. A map of each sculpture location will be published to the alliance’s website later this month.
“This is the fun stuff,” Wood said. “I mean, there is so much to love about downtown Naperville, but doing these (sculptures) every summer is really a highlight for all of us.”
The series has been a tradition since the early 2010s. The organization took up the program from the United Way, which used to have offices in Naperville and had its own summer painted sculpture program some two decades ago, according to Wood. When they “left town, that program left Naperville” until the alliance decided to bring it back, she said.
Organized around a new theme every year, sculptures have taken the shape of dogs, benches, trains and hearts, to name a few. Last year, the theme was bugs, complementing what was a historic summer for cicadas.
This year’s theme is a nod to the Naperville Riverwalk, Wood said. The concept was in part inspired by the Riverwalk’s 50th anniversary coming up in 2031 but was also just an ode to “a wonderful feature of our downtown,” Wood said.
Preparation for the series starts about six months in advance, she said. The alliance works with Chicago-area manufacturers to produce the sculptures, which are made out of fiberglass. Each is sponsored by an area business and passed off to local artists to be painted.
Once finished, the sculptures go back to the alliance, which works with Gerald Auto Group to glaze them so they’re more weather resistant, Wood said.
Each sculpture will also have its own theme-inspired name. Ducks to look out for include an underwater-themed bird aptly dubbed “Tropiquack” and the ever-groovy “Disco Duck.”
Sponsoring businesses this year include DJK Custom Home Builders, Naperville Bank & Trust, Pinot’s Palette, Pure Barre, Turning Point Autism and Treasures Naperville, among others.
Naperville artist Marianne Kuhn is painting two ducks, one sponsored by Magnitech and the other by Caton Commercial. She’s been a part of the series since the program was under the United Way’s auspices, she said.
Asked what brings her back each year, she said, “It’s just really fun doing public art and seeing the public get involved.”
Kuhn’s ducks are a colorful and distinctive pair. The first offers a painted scene of the Riverwalk, including a recreation of Dandelion Fountain. The second is Hawaiian-themed, complete with an illustration of two surfing ducks catching a wave. The ducks don’t yet have names, Kuhn said.
In tandem with the alliance’s sculpture series, a few other duck-themed activities are lined up for the summer. Various downtown businesses will be hiding rubber ducks inside their stores for patrons to find in a scavenger-style hunt, Wood said.
The alliance is also hosting a Riverwalk Rubber Duck Race on June 6 on the DuPage River. Ahead of the race, community members can pay to “adopt” rubber ducks for the chance to win prizes. All proceeds will support the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation. Duck sales end June 5.
More information about this year’s summer sculpture series can be found at downtownnaperville.com/events/summer-painted-sculptures-introducing-ducks.
