Crystal Lake’s new roundabout sculpture, by local artist, installed overnight
Crystal Lake’s first city‑funded public artwork now crowns the roundabout at Congress Parkway and Exchange Drive. The piece is a shimmering transparent globe of marine‑grade stainless steel, punctuated by bronze fish that echo the lake’s native species.
Created by local sculptor Erik Blome, the work continues a prolific career that includes a traveling bust of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable and a groundhog statue in Woodstock. Blome’s studio in Woodstock cast the 19‑by‑8‑foot sculpture in silicon bronze before the stainless steel shell was fabricated.
The globe was slipped into place in the pre‑dawn hours of a Friday, a quiet operation that concealed a $50,000 price tag consuming the entire annual budget of the Crystal Lake Public Arts Commission. The city council approved the project by a 5‑1 vote, despite some concerns about its visibility on a less‑traveled thoroughfare.
As new residential developments line Congress Parkway, the installation may soon become a landmark for commuters and residents alike, turning a functional roundabout into a point of civic pride.