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"Sunday in the Park" Restored and Relocated

restored and relocated to the Davenport riverfront, at the foot of Mound Street in lower Lindsay Park
WVIK News
restored and relocated to the Davenport riverfront, at the foot of Mound Street in lower Lindsay Park

After more than 20 years on Credit Island, the life-size copy of a famous French painting has moved to the Davenport riverfront. Friday River Action and the Davenport Park and Recreation Department celebrated the restoration of the "Sunday in the Park" sculptures.

WVIK News

It's a re-creation of "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by George Seurat.

Kathy Wine is Executive Director of River Action.

"And this is what we think is a great site because it is between the John Bloom sculpture, the architectural park, Riverway art sculpture, and creates an art stop for art lovers."

The sculptures were first placed on Credit Island in 2,000, but after years of vandalism, and the threat of flooding by the Mississippi River, it was decided to move them to a safer and more visible location - in Lindsay Park at the foot of Mound Street.

Wendy Peterson is chair of the Davenport Park Advisory Board.

WVIK News

"I'm so happy if you can't tell that it's here and it's beautiful. You drive by and you can't miss it, everybody will wonder what's that, and we want to say why come and see and we've got information here on the significance."

Local artist Ted McElhiney designed and oversaw the project originally, the sculptures were carved by Thom Gleich, and art students from Davenport Central High School and Augustana College helped maintain them.

The new restoration was done by Jean Downey.

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.