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You are here: Home / Things To Do in CU / Activities / Best Kept Secret: Kid-Approved Statues in Champaign-Urbana

Best Kept Secret: Kid-Approved Statues in Champaign-Urbana

April 7, 2015 By Emily Harrington

By Emily Harrington

I don’t know how many times I’ve drove by the paper carrier that stands outside The News-Gazette building or the woman who stands at a bus stop on Fox Drive. These people (or animals) become such fixtures in our day-to-day dealings. Without their silent, comforting presence, our drives would be so dull.

There are many “who’s that?” type moments sporadically planted throughout Champaign-Urbana in the form of statues. It wasn’t until I started researching this article that I realized just how many statues there are in C-U. A LOT.

A statue is a carved or cast person or animal that is usually life size or larger. This genre differs from sculptures because they tend to be more realistic, while a sculpture is mainly abstract. This is my attempt at categorizing the sometime uncategorizable.

Take a moment to appreciate the artwork that makes C-U unique. We’ve mapped out some of the statues in provide images on our Art in Chambana Pinterest Board.

rogerebertstatuechampaign

Champaign

  • What? Copper/steel “Kesis” Native American chief
    Where? Curtis Orchard on South Duncan Road
  • What? Bronze “Brothers” three boys
    Where? Prairie Farm on West Kirby Avenue
  • What? Metal lady waiting for bus
    Where? Fox Drive
  • What? Bronze Harold “Red” Grange
    Where? West side of Memorial Stadium on South First Street
  • What? Metal boy and dog and man and horse
    Where? North side of West Side Park on West Church Street
  • What? Metal “Prayer for Rain” Native American and animals on top of fountain
    Where? Middle of West Side Park
  • What? Bronze “Read All About It” young paper carrier
    Where? The News-Gazette on East Main Street
  • What? Bronze Roger Ebert
    Where? The Virginia Theater entrance on West Park Avenue
  • What? Bronze “Circle of Friends” girl reading
    Where? Corner of Neil and Park Streets

Urbana

  • What? Bronze/ironwood “Lincoln”
    Where? Alice Campbell Alumni Center entrance on South Lincoln Avenue
  • What? Bronze Alma Mater
    Where? Corner of Green and Wright Streets
  • What? Bronze “Computing a Future” aka “Grainger Bob”
    Where? Grainger Library south entrance on West Springfield Avenue

If you are out-and-about, or want to make a game of it, take some time to admire the larger-than-life artwork that exists outside in our community. Add to your checklist, the sculptures to admire, too.

What did we miss? Tell us what public artwork you admire in the community in the comments below.

Emily Harrington is a Chambana townie that left her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job to be a 24/7 mom to a dreamy son. Still interested in writing, Emily uses some of naptime to practice her passion and keep her mind right. Emily is a happy wife with a happy life because she fell for a fellow townie. Oh, and let’s not forget her other son, a degenerate canine named Heppenheimer.

Filed Under: Activities, Arts, Community, Things To Do in CU Tagged With: alice campbell alumni center, Alma Mater, arts, arts for kids, champaign, Computing a Future, Emily Harrington, Grainger Library, Lincoln, statues, statues for kids, urbana, visual arts for kids

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