Public Art Works

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the September 2024 issue.

The legacy of Naperville’s Century Walk

‘The Great Concerto’ (2005) mural by Barton Gunderson — *The Great Concerto* (2005) mural by Barton Gunderson

No, you won’t find Naperville’s vibrant and extensive art collection locked up in museum—it’s outside, on constant display all-over town. Encompassing everything from statuary (both solemn and whimsical) to large-scale murals to even a stained-glass piece (in a parking garage, no less), the city’s public art treasury is, well, truly public.

While some of the artworks may not register as top-of-mind attractions like Naper Settlement or the Riverwalk, these dozens of works all across Naperville have undoubtedly become part of the city’s fabric, which is exactly what Brand Bobosky had in mind when he founded the Century Walk project nearly 30 years ago. “Naper Settlement represents the history of Naperville, the Riverwalk highlights our natural beauty, and the Century Walk is meant to showcase our character through public works of art,” says Bobosky, a longtime local attorney who has served as executive director of the organization since its inception. “The idea is to show how the community has grown and evolved over the years, and how it continues to do so.”

Naperville Century Walk Public Art Guide

The same can be said of the Century Walk itself. Inspired by a successful public mural project in a town in British Columbia, what started in Naperville in the mid-1990s with just three pieces has grown into a citywide slate of 53 locations (some of which feature multiple works), spanning more than seven miles from north to south, with many clustered in and around the downtown core. These unique pieces touch on everything from history and education to athletics and the arts, all centered on a collective notion of Naperville’s civic pride. And though Bobosky is reluctant to choose a favorite in the collection (he likens them to children), when urged he does single out the patriotic pairing of Spirit of the American Doughboy and Spirit of the American Navy, both by sculptor E.M. Viquesney, in Burlington Square Park (320 W. Jackson Ave.) as particularly moving.

While Century Walk spent much of its early life bringing in new works to build out its roster, Bobosky says that the recent focus has shifted more to maintenance on pieces that have been around for several decades. Going forward, the work of both maintaining the current collection and commissioning new works will be overseen by an as-yet-unnamed successor, with Bobosky planning to retire from his post as executive director in the coming months. Even so, he intends to stick around to aid in the leadership transition and to do everything he can to make sure Century Walk continues to serve what he sees as its vital role in the city. “Public art is something you can’t take for granted,” he says. “It’s an important way for a town to tell its story, and the best part about it is that it’s free and available to the whole community.”

For more information, including a just-released pocket guide (above) of the Century Walk locations and QR codes to audio presentations for each piece, visit centurywalk.org.