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Students sought to design Niles Plaza art
The Niles Plaza Art Committee is holding a contest to add public art to the small plaza in front of the Niles Village Hall. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 18, 2013 1:16AM
NILES — A new art contest announced earlier this month will give Niles high school students the chance to win $1,000 and design an outdoor sculpture that will be displayed outside Niles Village Hall.
High school students who reside in the Village are asked to submit a design for a family-themed sculpture that will highlight Niles’ 2010 designation by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of the top most affordable places to raise a family in the U.S. A sculptor will form the winning design into a piece of art that will stand near the new village sign in the administration building’s plaza at 1000 Civic Center Dr.
The Niles Plaza Art Committee was created by village trustees this year to oversee the design and construction of the outdoor public artwork. Three committee members — chairwoman and Niles Trustee Rosemary Palicki, resident George Alpogianis and Tom Kanelos, chairman of the Niles Building and Zoning Board — will select a preliminary winner before sending the drawing to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
The Niles Plaza Art Committee evolved from the Niles Plaza Sign Committee which was the group in charge of overseeing the design of the new sign last spring.
“The three of us are focused on preserving the legacy of Niles by representing its past and future with the creation of this sculpture,” Palicki said. “We wanted acknowledgement of our Bloomberg award so we came up with this contest to create a lasting piece of art to serve as a reminder.”
The piece of art will be positioned adjacent to the four-by-five-foot village of Niles sign that sits in the center island between Village Hall and the Niles Family Fitness Center.
Students have until Jan. 15 to submit their work.
“We don’t have anything specific in mind for the design except that it should be family-themed, so we’re excited to see what our high school students can come up with,” Palicki said. “With Christmas break coming up we’re hoping they’ll have time to start working on their projects.”
The contest is only open to high school students who live in the village of Niles, and all entries should complement the existing sign, according to contest rules. Designs are accepted via e-mail at plaza@vniles.com or by mail or hand-delivery to the village of Niles Administration Building; Attn.: Niles Plaza Art Committee, 1000 Civic Center Drive, Niles, IL 60714.
Family members of the Niles Village Board and members of the Niles Plaza Art Committee are not eligible to participate.
