WICKER PARK — A bronze sculpture inspired by a woman of nature cloaked in "a blanket of fiber" and sitting with her hands and legs slightly outstretched in a welcoming pose has landed in a public garden behind the Bucktown-Wicker Park library.
The work of local sculptor Christina Murphy, "Bountiful Bench" was installed on Oct. 24 and will stick around for a year. The artist has offered to sell the work to the Bucktown Community Organization, if $75,000 can be raised, said Dan Murphy, the artist's husband and the co-owner of Rock Art Studio.
"They [the Bucktown Community Organization] want to get some public opinion to see if it's worth investing in. So far, feedback has been positive. The kids at the daycare center love it, they play on it all the time," said Dan Murphy.
Dan Murphy said the sculpture was placed on a wooden bed for the year-long installation so the bronze would not be in direct contact with the soil.
"The cost for a permanent installation would be about $75,000. That would include the cost of the sculpture, a permanent base, moving of the piece again and site preparation," Dan Murphy said.
Bucktown Community Organization paid for a crane to transport the 500-pound, 4-foot-tall by 4-foot wide piece to "Bucktown Green Park" at 1716 N. Hoyne Ave., according to Murphy.
Steve Jensen, president of the local group, did not return calls requesting comment on the new art, which incorporates sunflowers, stars, grapes, corn stalks and stars, among other images.
In the Bucktown Green, "Bountiful Bench" joins a permanently installed bench park dedicated to Marcella Juszynski, a World War II survivor who passed away on her front porch in Bucktown in July 2013.
Once an unofficial dog park, the oblong-shaped patch of land behind the library was sold for $2 to NeighborSpace in 2013. The Bucktown Community Organization is the custodial agency that maintains the park.
"The strength and character of the American spirit was my original inspiration for 'Bountiful Bench,' " the artist said in a statement.
"Furthermore, my vision was to represent the natural artistry Mother Nature, the greatest artist of all, has laid before us. Wearing a blanket of fiber, a woman of nature and history sits with outstretched hands, anchoring the piece," she said.
The sculpture, which can withstand harsh elements, was a cast of an earlier sculpture Murphy created in 2008.
But those hoping to sit on "Bountiful Bench" should be advised it requires a bit of slanted posture.
"Her lap was intentionally slanted. Christina had to make it on a slight angle so water didn't sit on it. It was the only way to keep water off of it," Dan Murphy said.
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