Seven new sculptures are now installed on Chicago Avenue in downtown Freeport. They are on loan for one year. The concrete pads under them went in during the city's Streetscape rebuild of the corridor, a project that set aside space for public art from the start. Each loan runs out, and the pads, the plaza at the north end and the businesses that sponsor the walk remain. Walking the 2026 lineup this fall is the easiest way to see how downtown Freeport has set up its main street to keep bringing in new work.
What went into the street before the art did
The art on Chicago Avenue began with work underground. The City of Freeport's $5.5 million Chicago Avenue Streetscape project replaced water, gas, electrical and telecommunications lines that were more than 140 years old. Above ground, the same project added a bike lane, new pavement, safer pedestrian crossings, street furniture, groundwork for street trees and dedicated space for art installations. The Freeport Journal-Standard reported that construction started June 8, 2022.
Those art spaces are why a sculpture walk works here. In its October 1 Freeport roundup, WNIJ described the outdoor exhibition as building directly on the Streetscape project, "which included dedicated spaces for public art when the downtown corridor was reconstructed." The Freeport Art Museum runs the walk with the City of Freeport's Arts and Culture Commission. This is the second year.
This year's seven
The 2026 sculptures stand at seven spots on Chicago Avenue between Spring Street and Douglas Street. The artists come from Illinois, Iowa and Maryland, and two of them live in Freeport.
| Sculpture | Artist | Hometown | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumes of Color | Tim Adams | Webster City, Iowa | Painted steel and aluminum |
| Hoopla | Tim Adams | Webster City, Iowa | Painted aluminum, steel and mixed media |
| WindWave II | Bill McGrath | Batavia, Illinois | Steel and aluminum |
| Icosahedron | Kirk Seese | Lutherville, Maryland | Steel, MDO board, UV inks, piano hinges and allthread rod |
| Bound by Art | Mike Meade and Linda Vietmeyer | Freeport, Illinois | Mixed media |
| Cityscape | Shencheng Xu | Wilmette, Illinois | Painted steel |
| Wonderful World | Shencheng Xu | Wilmette, Illinois | Painted steel |
Each piece has a QR code that opens a free audio tour. The museum also offers the tour through the Otocast app, where the artists narrate their own pieces. Kirk Seese's "Icosahedron" is a good one to listen to. The materials list mentions piano hinges and allthread rod, which is more hardware-store than most outdoor sculpture.
The opening reception was September 18 at the Freeport Public Library. Afterward, guests walked the route as a group. If you missed it, the route is the same one any weekday walker can take now.
Where the route ends
The north end of the walk is the Freeport Arts Plaza, at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Douglas Street. It sits next to the Freeport Public Library, which is at 100 E. Douglas St. The museum's own building is off the route at 121 N. Harlem Ave.
The plaza is set up to change the same way the street is. It has three main pieces:
- The Gateway Sculpture. A large interactive piece at the Douglas and Chicago corner, designed as a passageway and historical marker that guides people toward downtown.
- The Art Screen. It runs along the alley between the plaza and the Post Office building. It is built for temporary displays, with mounting sections for posters and panels that can be swapped out.
- The Ferguson Pavilion. An elevated stage funded by the Leonard C. and Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation. It opened in summer 2021 and handles music, theater and dance.
As of this fall, the plaza also has something permanent. On Saturday, September 12, the museum unveiled the "United We Create" mural during its Freedom on the Rocks celebration. Freeport artist and educator Ben Swords led the project, working with local students and community members on a design about Freeport's history, cultural diversity and shared values. It is part of the national America 250 celebration and was funded by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Foundation for Northwest Illinois. The sculptures change every year, and the mural is meant to stay.
Union Dairy is right next door at 126 E. Douglas St. The museum's plaza page suggests getting an ice cream there and walking over.
Who keeps the pads filled
A one-year loan means someone has to pay for the next lineup. The museum's sculpture walk page lists this year's sponsors: Liz and Len Carter, Riteway Furniture and Appliance, Wagner Business Supply, Freeport Truck and Propane, Manus Law, Terry Deslitch, 9 East Coffee, Integrity Financial and Two Friends Art Studio. Several of those names are businesses a walker passes on the way.
Nine East Coffee and Catering, at 9 E. Stephenson St., serves coffee, breakfast and lunch. Its site lists hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Rite-Way Furniture and Appliance is at 20 E. Stephenson St.
Two Friends Art Studio is the newest of these. On a September 29 episode of Freepod, host Tim Connors interviewed owners Tina Cannova and Carla Donaldson about their newly opened downtown studio and their goal of bringing people together through creativity. The studio is at 4 W. Stephenson St. Cannova also came up at the mural unveiling. That day the Freeport Art Museum honored her as one of four people recognized for leadership and contributions to the local arts. The same few people show up as artist, sponsor, studio owner and honoree, which helps explain how a small downtown keeps this up year after year.
The studio's next show opens Wednesday, November 4, at 3 p.m. Derrik Gagliardi's work there interprets Midwest farms.
A walking order with places to stop
The sculptures run north to the plaza, and Stephenson Street crosses that path with most of the downtown shops. Here is one way to walk it:
- Start at Chicago Avenue and Spring Street, the south end of the walk. Mort's Bar and Grill is on the corridor at 114 S. Chicago Ave.
- Turn onto Stephenson Street for coffee and shops. Nine East is at 9 E. Stephenson. The Langley Co., a gift and jewelry shop, is at 4 E. Stephenson. The Cookie Jar is at 12 E. Stephenson and Frank Jewelers at 19 E. Stephenson. Re-Spun Records and Resale is a little farther east at 119 E. Stephenson. Two Friends Art Studio is at 4 W. Stephenson.
- Landmark Family Restaurant at 1 E. Main St. is close by for breakfast or lunch.
- Finish at the Arts Plaza, with the gateway, the mural and Union Dairy on Douglas Street.
If you add the museum, it is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays. Admission is by donation, with a suggested $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and students, or $10 for a family.
Two downtown evenings that use the same blocks
The Greater Freeport Partnership has two downtown walking events this fall on the same streets:
- Wine and Witches, Friday, October 16. Free. Participating shops are open from 4 to 9 p.m., and check-in is at Rootz and Branchez, 101 W. Main St.
- Mistletoe Walk, Saturday, November 21. Noon to 6 p.m., with dozens of downtown businesses and organizations taking part.
The city and the Partnership are currently in a funding disagreement. As of WNIJ's October 1 report, the city said the Partnership's agreement had not been terminated, and the Partnership said its remaining 2026 events would go on as planned. Both evenings fall within the sculptures' one-year loan, so the seven pieces will still be up for both.
At Sullivan Realty, we spend a lot of time on Stephenson County's roads and in its small downtowns, and we enjoy watching Freeport's main corridor bring in new art each year. If you have questions about Freeport, Lena or anywhere else in the county, Sullivan Realty is glad to talk it through. Contact Us anytime.
