They've crafted the Penn State Nittany Lion…the Butler University Bulldog…and Kansas State Wildcat…the Iowa Hawkeye Herky…and lots of assorted things, animals, and other unique objects for the City of St. Joseph's annual Public Art project, and assuming all goes well tonight, they'll be crafting new items for the streets of Michigan's Great Southwest for the 14th Annual St. Joseph Public Art project coming next spring.
They are the Chicago Fiberglass Works, a 60-year old company operating out of a 30,000 square foot production facility in Chicago and the know their business very well.
Tonight, St. Joseph City Commissioners will be asked to approve a $35,000 outlay to Chicago Fiberglass Works for the creation of 30 new public art objects which will be hand-painted by community artists and placed onto the streets of the city's central business district from May through September.
The logo and models for the 2016 showcase are still a state secret until the city commission meeting tonight, however the theme is clearly revealed in the city's contract with Chicago Fiberglass Works — "Fishing Fun in St. Joseph." The contract calls for the manufacture of 10 fish bodies…10 separate 5-foot tall, 30-inch wide fish tails, and 10 sharks, all of which will be 4 feet tall, 6 feet long, and 30-inches wide. The contract implies that the fish bodies will be paired with the separate fish tails for displays stretching some eight feet long.
Susan Solon is the city's Communications Director and the one who shepherds the Public Art project each year. She will ask the St. Joseph City Commission to commit to a $75,000 budget for the showcase, $35k of which goes to creation of the fiberglass fish, and the remaining dedicated to the marketing and promotion of the annual display which attracts considerable attention, especially from families with young children who love to search them out and pose for pictures with them each year.
Chicago Fiberglass Works artists will deliver the completed castings by February 1st and the showcase is expected to hit the streets for the annual kickoff event on May 19th, 2017. They will remain on display throughout the city through the summer and be auctioned off to the highest bidders at the annual Fall Festival & Wine Tasting Event.
