HONORING AMERICA’S CULTURAL GIANTS

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, Cleve Carney Museum of Art is partnering with the McAninch Arts Center to present a free, family-friendly outdoor exhibition.

The word “giant” has definitions that go beyond stature. There are mythological giants, giants of industry, and from now through October 18, some of America’s cultural giants will be getting a larger-than-life tribute in a new, family-friendly outdoor exhibition.

Featuring 10 painted silhouette sculptures of Americans who have made significant contributions to the arts in visual art, music, theater and dance, Walking With Giants was created to honor the United States’ 250th anniversary.

Justin Witte, curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) in Glen Ellyn, collaborated with the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) in association with the College of DuPage Foundation to bring the vision to life.

“The idea for Walking with Giants came from a desire to do something meaningful in honor of the country’s semiquincentennial while also creating a free outdoor exhibition that would be broadly accessible to the community,” he says. “When I began thinking about what that might be, I found myself reflecting on all of the artists and cultural figures our country has produced and the ways American culture has spread throughout the world. I was thinking about these individuals as cultural giants, and then I began wondering: why not depict them that way?”

Witte began thinking big, literally—imagining giant portraits of great American artists and cultural figures peeking over the hills and emerging from behind buildings on the College of DuPage (COD) campus. Then came the hardest part. Of all the legendary Americans who have made significant contributions to the arts in visual art, music, theater and dance, which ones should they choose?

“We began by surveying community partners and members of the public about who they thought should be included. From that initial feedback, we created an online ballot featuring artists from the fields of visual art, dance, music, theater, and film and then invited the public to vote,” he says. “Anyone could participate, and the 10 individuals who received the most votes became the figures featured in the exhibition.”

Among the featured artists are American Neo-Expressionist visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman Dolly Parton; and American songwriter, actor, filmmaker and librettist Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“While no list can ever be truly definitive, I think this group represents the breadth, creativity, and diversity of American cultural achievement,” says Witte. “Together, they reflect the many ways Americans have shaped artistic expression both at home and around the world.”

Following an open call for artists, Chicago’s Judith Mayer and Naperville’s Rich Lo were selected to design and create the sculptures, which were installed along a walkable route surrounding the MAC on the COD campus.

Witte says it was an honor to be a part of this exhibit and bring the stories of these figures to life.

“For me, the opportunity to reflect on the outsized role our country has played in shaping global culture is a meaningful one. Over the past two and a half centuries, Americans have influenced, shaped, and reinvented culture across the globe,” he says. “What is perhaps most impressive is that the individuals responsible for those contributions are so different from one another. They come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, yet they share a belief in their own ability to create something new and to push culture forward in unexpected ways.”

The artists commissioned to create the pieces are equally diverse. Mayer is the daughter of an immigrant who creates brightly colored, graphic, and typographic artwork for brands, publications, experiences, and murals. Lo is a native of Canton, China who is known in America as a visual artist and author.

“I hope visitors enjoy the work of Judith Mayer and Rich Lo, whose creativity and talent have brought these figures to life,” adds Witte. “I hope they come away with a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of American arts and culture. I also hope they take pride in the fact that, for much of our history, the world has looked to the United States as a source of new ideas, innovation, and artistic achievement.”

Admission to Walking with Giants is free and open to the public. For more information, visit theccma.org/walking-with-giants.