A 24-foot-tall sunflower mural that aims to capture the city’s welcoming nature was recently unveiled in downtown Naperville.
“We are standing in front of the new mural that’s at 222 S. Main St. here in Naperville, right on the Liam Brex building, and it just went up on Sunday,” said the mural’s artist Erin Smith-Franczyk. “The idea of the flower was really that I’ve been a Naperville resident most of my life, and this place is really welcoming and inviting, so it’s like a gift to people who are walking by, and the goal is to make people smile.”
“Towering Sunflower” blooms on Main Street
Smith-Franczyk took inspiration for “Towering Sunflower” from walks in local nature preserves with her dogs and while tending to her garden.
“I really love the Springbrook Prairie… (I) grow a lot of gardening plants and native flowers,” said Smith-Franczyk. “One of them that I really love is the Rudbeckia, the Brown Eyed Susan, also known as the sunflower or sunflower family.”
Surrounding the sunflower are several words that highlight Naperville’s values.
“I wanted to give the piece depth and dimension… these are all words that I feel kind of encompass how Naperville is, it’s a welcoming place, it is a very vibrant place. The colors on the bottom are all inspired by the prairie and autumn.”
After scouting the location, Smith-Franczyk determined she wanted to create a piece that “invites you to step in.”
“I wanted to create something that was eye-catching and interactive so that people could come up, stand, and take a picture, but also potentially hold the stem of the flower,” said Smith-Franczyk.
A huge honor for Naperville artist
The Naperville native had one month to put together the project which came with some artistic hurdles, a welcome challenge for Smith-Franczyk.
“There (were) some constraints, which I think in a creative process, can make things more interesting,” said Smith-Franczyk. “(I) couldn’t paint on this building… they can’t really do this printing and application in cold weather… It got scanned… and then it was professionally applied to the building.”
The mural was funded through the city’s Special Events and Community Arts (SECA) Commission.
“Towering Sunflower” will be on display in downtown Naperville for one year.
“It’s a huge honor, I grew up in this town, some of my early draw into the artistic world was through the really good teachers I had… and I don’t think I’d be a creative today if it weren’t for a lot of that,” Smith-Franczyk said. “It makes me really happy to see people enjoying it so far.”
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