Two New Public Art Sculptures Installed in Champaign Parks brings a splash of color to two places residents already know well.

The Champaign Park District has placed one sculpture beside a playground and another in a downtown park, giving each setting a distinct new focal point.

At Robert C. Porter Family Park, the 10-foot-tall aluminum work “X Marks the Spot?” stands near the playground entrance.

The park is at 2310 South Rising Road, where the sculpture’s bright colors and playful form sit alongside the surrounding prairie landscape.

For families arriving to play, the discovery may begin before anyone reaches the equipment.

Created in 2017 by Chicago artist John Adduci, the piece adds an eye-catching landmark to a familiar outing.

Its title sounds like an invitation to look more closely, a fitting touch for a work placed at a park entrance.

Across town, Firefighters Park offers a different encounter with public art in Champaign.

The park at 305 South Randolph Street now holds “Scalar,” a seven-foot-tall steel sculpture painted white and orange.

Its curved loops give the work a sense of movement, even as it remains firmly planted in downtown Champaign.

Luke Achterberg, an artist from La Crosse, Wisconsin, created the sculpture.

One new work meets visitors at a playground; the other asks people to take a second look at a downtown green space.

That contrast is part of the appeal of placing art across Champaign parks rather than concentrating it in one location.

A child heading toward the swings and a person passing through downtown can each stumble onto something worth noticing.

The works also show how different materials can shape the experience of a park, from colorful aluminum to looping painted steel.

Neither visit requires a special trip or a ticket; the sculptures are part of the everyday landscape of two public parks.

For residents who return often, that can make the installations especially rewarding as light, weather and seasons change around them.

Park officials say both sculptures will remain on display for two years.

That gives neighbors time to revisit them, but it also makes these additions temporary rather than permanent fixtures.

“Scalar” was chosen through a call for artists issued by 40North, connecting the downtown installation to a broader effort to bring creative work into public view.

The Champaign Park District says more public art installations are planned across the district in the coming months.

No additional locations or works were identified in the announcement, leaving residents to watch for what might appear next.

For now, the two sculptures make a simple case for slowing down during a routine park visit.

At Porter Family Park, that might mean pausing before the playground; at Firefighters Park, it might mean looking again at a familiar corner.

Public art does not have to be tucked inside a building to become part of community life.

Sometimes it starts with a bright shape beside a path and a reason to stay for one more minute.