Two new outdoor sculptures go up in Champaign parks

CHAMPAIGN - Two new sculptures were installed in Champaign parks in October, the Champaign Park District announced Nov. 2.

"X Marks the Spot?," a 10-foot aluminum letter X made in 2017 by Chicago native John Adduci, stands at the playground entrance of Robert C. Porter Family Park, 2310 S. Rising Road, where it will stay for the next two years. Park District staff sourced the piece. Adduci's other local works include "Diss-Connections" on Wright Street and "Yikes" at Meadowbrook Park.

"Scalar," a 7-foot steel sculpture painted white and orange by Luke Achterberg of La Crosse, Wis., is in Firefighters Park, 305 S. Randolph St., downtown. It came through a call for artists put out by 40North earlier this year, and the district will lease it for two years.

Deputy Executive Director Jarrod Scheunemann said the X "added a whimsical and playful tone to the playground area," and Executive Director Sarah Sandquist said Firefighters Park was chosen for its visibility and colors that complement the piece. The district says more art will be installed in the coming months.

Source: Champaign Park District: Two New Sculptures Installed in Champaign Parks in October (read Nov. 3, 2026).