This summer, Naperville is embracing the vibrant roots of Latin American culture with the countywide art exhibit, "Olmec Trails: Culture and Legacy." In a celebration of the historic Olmec civilization, Naperville has welcomed a pair of colossal head sculptures that are hand-painted, adding a splash of history and color to the city's public spaces. According to the Chicago Tribune, the exhibit is a tribute to the Meso-American origins of Mexican culture and underlines the significance of public art.
The outdoor exhibit showcases 33 unique large-scale sculptures inspired by the ancient Meso-American Olmec civilization. The Olmec heads were part of the Mexican Olmecs, widely regarded as a founding culture of Meso-America, which occupied today's southern Veracruz, Mexico, and sculpted these iconic artifacts between 1400 BCE and 400 BCE. Naperville's chapters of the exhibit are located outside the city's Nichols and 95th Street Public Library branches. NCTV17 notes that these sculptures stand tall as a homage to a rich cultural heritage and are free for public viewing.
Organized by the Mexican Cultural Center DuPage, in collaboration with Meztli Mexico, the College of DuPage Public Art Project, and the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau, this initiative has garnered local and artistic support. Funding for Naperville's involvement comes courtesy of a $2,500 grant from Arts DuPage and the DuPage Foundation, a $1,000 donation by the Naperville Public Library, and an additional $6,500 sourced through the city's Special Events and Community Arts Commission, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The sculptures at the Nichols and 95th Street libraries were crafted by artists Juan Aguilar Santis Chawuk and Flavio Lopez Lopez, respectively. Chawuk's sculpture, "Hosts to New Paths," centers on a portrait of Carlos Tortolero, the founder and former president of Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art. Lopez’s sculpture, titled "Echoes of Identity," reflects the cultural diversity of Chiapas, his home state in Mexico. Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort, stating, "The City is incredibly grateful to partner with these wonderful organizations to highlight Latin American heritage in the Naperville community," according to a press release mentioned by NCTV17.
To kick off the exhibit, the city is slated to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Nichols Library. Complementary to the sculptures, a variety of programs centered around Mexican culture will be introduced, potentially involving library events and guest speakers, as detailed by Naperville’s special events coordinator, Dawn Portner. These efforts aim to provide a rich, educational context alongside the visual feast of the Olmec heads. An interactive map detailing the locations of all 33 sculptures across DuPage County can be accessed at the exhibit’s dedicated website, ensuring that nobody misses out on a piece of pre-Columbian history right in the suburbs of Chicago.
