The Village of Algonquin is among the numerous suburban Chicago municipalities that have experienced significant growth in recent decades. During the past 15 years, Algonquin’s population has increased from approximately 12,000 residents to almost 30,000 today. Throughout this period of remarkable growth and physical expansion, Village officials and staff have attempted to find ways to unify the more established sections of town with newly-developed areas while focusing on an ultimate goal of projecting an image of Algonquin to the surrounding region that evokes a unique sense of place. Rather than be associated with traffic, residential growth, and considerable retail development, the Village has decided to promote and accentuate the community’s abundant public spaces through the placement of artwork.

The Village of Algonquin launched its first public art program during the fall of 2005 with the purpose of enhancing the community’s sense of place through a celebration of art. Specifically, a newly-formed Algonquin Public Arts Commission solicited local and national artists to temporarily loan original artworks for public display at a dozen indoor and outdoor locations throughout the community. The display locations were selected by the Commission and Village staff with a concentrated effort toward identifying highly visible and secure sites for the placement of artwork. As a result of an intense 1-month outreach campaign, more than 100 artworks in a variety of mediums were submitted by artists from across the country. The Algonquin Community Development Department and Public Arts Commission reviewed the artwork submissions and made a final recommendation of artwork selections, which was approved by the Village’s Board of Trustees.
Currently, more than 30 paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and fiber works are on display at 10 indoor and outdoor locations throughout Algonquin. Please see the attached brochure, which is available to the public and lists the Village’s artwork display locations. The public art program has received considerable press coverage, including one specific display featured in a WLS-Channel 7 television news story, which was picked up by the national media. The Village will soon begin soliciting artwork loans to be considered for display during the second year of the public art program. In general, by forming an unpaid Public Arts Commission to oversee the program and obtaining artwork through an on-loan basis, implementation of the public art program will consistently realize nominal expenditure.

The public art program established by the Village of Algonquin could be replicated by municipalities of all sizes. The scope of a municipality’s public art program could be as broad or focused as it prefers. By asking for artwork to be loaned by artists, as was done in Algonquin’s public art program, there is no cost to obtain the displays. A municipality could begin a public art program by simply displaying a painting or two at its Village Hall on a rotating basis. In general, art can be seen as a resource to enhance the sense of (any) place.

The cost to implement the Village’s inaugural public art program was approximately $2,000, plus staff time. A majority of the $2,000 was spent on one-time costs such as the purchase of display pedestals and outdoor sign posts. The acquisition of such materials has largely been funded by money collected from the assessment of a public art impact fee on all new development projects in the Village.

The Village’s Community Development Department mobilized support for the public art program by promoting the aesthetic and image-making benefits of the program to board members, staff, area property owners and residents. In April 2005, the Village’s Board of Trustees adopted the Algonquin Public Art Master Plan, which recommended the creation of a Public Arts Commission to guide the formation of a public art display program in the Village. The Algonquin Public Arts Commission was established during the summer of 2005 and, with support from Village staff, implemented the Village’s inaugural public art display program later that fall. Village staff communicated with the property owners of selected display locations throughout the artwork selection and installation process to ensure any potential concerns were addressed prior to the placement of the artworks. Additionally, the Village engaged the local press to convey the goals and scope of the Village’s public art program to local residents.

Assistant Village Manager Jeff Mihelich was the person primarily responsible for devising Algonquin's Public Art Mater Plan. The idea for a Village-sponsored public art program grew out of his discussions with members of a local art group (“Art Talk”) that centered on a mutual desire to employ art as a means for enhancing the community’s sense of place and improving area residents’ quality of life.

The Village of Algonquin is a suburb of Chicago, located 39 miles northwest of the Loop. The Village was incorporated in 1890 and its current population is approaching 30,000 residents. As a governmental unit, the Village includes Administrative, Community Development, Building, Public Works, Human Resources, Finance, and Police Departments.

Jeffrey J. Mihelich
Assistant Village Manager
Village of Algonquin
(847) 658-4184
jeffmihelich@algonquin.org

Benjamin A. Mason
Planner
Village of Algonquin
(847) 658-4184
bmason@algonquin.org