July 21, 2026 – Visitors to Scovill Sculpture Park will soon have five new pieces of public art to explore as the Decatur Park District and Decatur Parks Foundation continue expanding the free outdoor art experience.
The newest sculptures are being installed along the park’s 800 feet of walking paths connecting Scovill Zoo and the Children’s Museum of Illinois. The exhibit offers visitors a chance to experience art in a natural setting year-round at no cost.
The Scovill Sculpture Park project began in 2015 through a partnership between the Decatur Parks Foundation, Decatur Park District, Children’s Museum of Illinois, Decatur Area Arts Council, and NowDecatur’s parent company. A private philanthropist later provided a $250,000 investment to fully fund the project.
All five new sculptures were selected through a national call for artists using the public art platform Café, which connects artists with communities seeking new installations.
Decatur Parks Foundation Director Allie Delatte said the selection process focused on creating a collection that would appeal to a wide range of visitors.“We had 45 different pieces that were submitted, and myself and a few community members kind of narrowed it down,” Delatte said. “We went with pieces that had a little bit of everything — some whimsy, some kid-friendly, and some thinkers that are out there. We wanted it to be diverse.”
The new sculptures will remain on display for two years, with an option for a third year. The park will also add five new pieces next year as part of the rotating exhibit.
One of the returning artists is Kirk Sese, who previously displayed his work at Scovill Sculpture Park with his piece “The Feather.” His newest installation, “The Mining Ant,” brings a futuristic science-fiction concept to life.
Sese said the sculpture imagines a future where humans explore distant planets and moons with the help of autonomous robotic insects. “It’s part of a sci-fi narrative where in the future, humans are colonizing asteroids and moons and distant planets,” Sese said. “Before we even get there, we send out fleets of autonomous hive-minded robotic insects like the mining ant.”
The sculpture represents a robotic insect designed to excavate tunnels and create underground habitats for future human exploration.
For Sese, public art is about creating connections and giving people access to something unexpected. “That’s what draws me to public art in particular,” Sese said. “The art is out there for the public. There’s no fee. You don’t have to pay to get in. It’s out for everyone to enjoy.”
He said the opportunity to bring art directly into the community is one of the most rewarding parts of his work. “The reason we create art is to add beauty and joy and positivity to the world,” Sese said. “If an artist can present something new to the public — something they haven’t seen before, something they haven’t thought of in that way before — I think we’ve done our job.”
