Let There Be Lights! Fountain of Time Monument Vies for $1 Million Grant in Online Contest
Public Votes from Sept. 6-Oct. 10 Can Result in Funding to Install Lights
Release Date: 09/06/07
The Chicago Park District is calling upon its supporters to cast their votes online in an effort to secure funding for lighting the historic Fountain of Time monument in Washington Park at Midway Plaisance Drive and S. Cottage Grove Avenue.
American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have selected the Fountain of Time as one of 25 sites to compete for $1 million for historic preservation efforts in a five-week online contest. Individuals can vote once daily from Thursday, Sept. 6 to Wednesday, Oct. 10 by clicking here.
“The Fountain of Time has undergone a $2 million conservation effort that was made possible by the Chicago Park District, Art Institute of Chicago, University of Chicago, a Save America’s Treasures Grant and private donations,” said Chicago Park District historian Julia Bachrach. “The final phase of this long-term initiative is the installation of monument lights that will both provide dramatic views and protect this valuable landmark from vandalism.”
Completed in 1922, the Fountain of Time is one of the nation’s most significant monuments and is the masterpiece of renowned Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft. The work was inspired by poet Austin Dobson’s Paradox of Time, and it continues to astound viewers with its beauty and theme of mortality.
This exquisite 127-feet long concrete sculpture includes a crag-like figure of Father Time, a procession of 100 human figures, and a reflecting pool between them. The artist, his daughters, and his students served as models for some of the sculptural figures. This summer’s dedication of the monument with Mayor Richard M. Daley marked the first time in 50 years that water was in the sculptural memorial’s reflecting basin.
The Fountain of Time is one of the most visually compelling monuments in Chicago and one of the most historically significant ornamental fountains in America. The national art journal Monumental News considered it one of the “most elaborate and imaginative work of purely ideal sculpture ever executed in this country if not in the world.”
The Chicago Park District is the steward of hundreds of historic resources and has invested ten of millions in restoration, conservation, and rehabilitation projects. Awarding-winning projects in recent years include the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, the Humboldt Park Boathouse, the 63rd Street Bathing Pavilion, and the Fountain of Time sculptural elements and reflecting basin.
For more information about the Chicago Park District, click here or call (312) 742-PLAY.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529