Erik Blome's Stainless Steel Globe Installed in Crystal Lake Roundabout

A new sculpture by local artist Erik Blome stands in the center of the roundabout at Congress Parkway and Exchange Drive in Crystal Lake.

The piece, a 19-by-8-foot transparent globe made of marine-grade stainless steel, features bronze elements including fish from the city's namesake lake. City documents value the work at $50,000, a sum that consumed the entire annual budget of the Public Arts Commission. Blome cast the sculpture at his silicon bronze foundry and studio in Woodstock. He installed the artwork at approximately 3 a.m. on Friday, marking the first project recommended by the Arts Commission that received a full City Council vote.

Blome is a resident of Crystal Lake with a career spanning dozens of bronze sculptures displayed globally. His portfolio includes a traveling eight-and-a-half-foot bust of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a groundhog statue and bench commissioned for Woodstock, and a statue located at ComEd offices in his home city. Busts of his work are also housed in the Raue Center for the Arts.

Council members approved the purchase last year by a 5-1 vote. During the deliberation, some members questioned why the art was not placed in a more prominent location. The city currently views Congress Parkway as a developing corridor due to recent residential additions and ongoing construction along the route. Additionally, the City Council recently approved the purchase of the former Northwestern Medicine Health and Fitness Center at 200 Congress Parkway. The building, which has been shuttered for some time, will be converted into a community center.

The sculpture is now visible to traffic on the busy intersection. The city has no further announcements regarding maintenance schedules or dedicated viewing hours for the piece.