Joliet's 5 New Sculptures: Buy Raffle Ticket To Win 1

JOLIET, IL — On Thursday, three women involved in Joliet's growing arts community took it one step at a time as they slowly carried a newly created piece of public art that weighed 150 lbs up the long staircase of Juliet's Tavern in downtown Joliet.

Angelica Aguilar is the local artist who created the sculpture, which she proudly called City of Stone.

"I love it," she told Joliet Patch's editor.

Hers was one of five pieces of public art recently commissioned by the Joliet City Center Partnership and the Joliet Arts Commission. These five art pieces celebrate Joliet's cultural and industrial heritage and were unveiled on Thursday night at Juliet's second floor banquet hall.

More than 100 people gathered on the second floor of Juliet's Tavern, 205 North Chicago St., to celebrate the talent and to view the work of the five sculptures. The artists who made these pieces were: Aguilar, Kelly Bartels, Dante DiBartolo, Erick "Roho" Garcia and Mary Lynn Maloney.

More than 50 Joliet area artists attended the event as did several of Joliet's civic leaders and politicians including Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, City Councilman Joe Clement and City Councilwoman Sherri Reardon.

Recent Joliet City Council candidate Hudson Hollister, founder of the HData technology firm, was one of the event organizers. Ron Romero, who is in the process of opening the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum next to Juliet's Tavern, was also in the house Thursday.

Sue Regis, who has been featured in the Joliet Patch before, and operates the Sue Regis Glass Art studio across from the Joliet Public Library, also attended Thursday night's gala.

She said she helped carry the 150 lb limestone sculpture up the long flight of wooden stairs.

Aguilar told Patch she created City of Stone with limestone, mortar, cheese cloth, wood and chicken wire. She polished the natural limestone found in Joliet to make her sculpture.

"The cars were made of clay," she added.

"These are all different walks of life for a different cause," Aguilar added. "Number one, we have to come together to flourish."

For the next two months, Joliet's City Center Partnership will be selling raffle tickets for people interested in the five new public art exhibits. The raffle winners will be chosen Sept. 25 at the Tunes and Brews on 66 event.

Starting July 30, the five recently commissioned sculptures will be put on display in the windows of the Rialto Square Theatre about a block down the street from Juliet's.

City Center interim director Rod Tonelli told Joliet Patch how "this is a great example" of a partnership with the arts community to continue the ongoing revitalization of downtown Joliet.

"It's a neat intersection of community leaders, elected officials and the arts community," Tonelli said. "You also look at the sculptures, and you will see the energy that will empower new economic development in the future."

Patch asked Tonelli what's a realistic goal for how many raffle tickets can be sold for the five new works of art between now and the Sept. 25 drawing.

Raffle tickets are $5 each.

"At least one thousand or more," he answered.

Then, he paused and reflected for a second.

"Say 5,000 or more," Tonelli said. "It's a big community. I'm just excited about the ability to bring the arts community and the city leadership together."

The website link to purchase your raffle tickets for the Joliet Local Art Project: Heritage Sculpture Raffle is right here.