Owl Sculptures
We are proud to present our new outdoor art exhibit – a parliament of Little Wise Owls – showcasing the wild creativity of 19 local professional/emerging artists and students from 9 Chicagoland Greek language schools. A small group of these 28 painted, three-dimensional owl sculptures will be present at Elysian Field (401 S Halsted St) for the official ribbon-cutting on June 5 while others will already be roosting throughout the neighborhood along Halsted Street from Monroe Street to Van Buren Street. The exhibit will run through Spring 2025.
In Greek mythology, a little owl (Athene noctua) often accompanies Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Given this association, the owl came to represent intelligence, knowledge and wisdom. In classical times too, the owl was the emblem of the city of Athens and the goddess Athena was the city’s patron deity. Ancient coins (tetradrachms) from about 525 BC featured the head of Athena on one side and an owl on the other side. The Little Wise Owls sculpted piece is a soft take on this famous minted image.
“Owls are fascinating birds,” says Greektown SSA #16 Commissioner and Arts Committee Chair Eve Moran, “Important in ancient Greek culture, and widely considered throughout the world. The goddess Athena is sure to be pleased that local artists are celebrating her little owl with their gifted work. And I hope these symbols of wisdom, dressed in beauty, bring joy to all community residents and visitors in Greektown.
Stay tuned in future newsletters for artist and artwork features from this exhibit!
Little Wise Owl artworks (left to right) by James Mesplé, Mark Nelson, Victoria Martin, Arlene Crawford, Bonnie Loboda, Rebecca Zaragoza and Koraes Elementary School
