Exploring the Land of Oz
October 12, 2022
8:30am
I woke up knowing it was rainy and gloomy, so I put on warm clothes and packed a small bag and headed out the door. Right as I open the door of Munroe Hall I get a chill crisp breeze from outside. I took a few steps and the first thing I noticed was the smell. Since It was raining all night and continuing, it smelt a little earthy, but very slightly. I thought this was interesting because in my hometown if it would rain just the slightest it would smell extremely earthy, while being here it’s not as potent. Being in the city there isn’t much grass or soil compared to everything being spaced out in my hometown and grass being everywhere. I start walking down N. Clifton Ave and notice all the trees and leaves filling up the sidewalk. I personally love the rain. I feel like on a gloomy cloudy day the colors of nature pop. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t have to compete with the bright blue sky on a sunny day. I keep walking and turn onto W. Dickens Ave all the way until I entered Oz Park. I passed by a couple of people on the streets. All of them were holding a Starbucks cup in their hand. I also passed by a payphone which I thought was so fascinating. I don’t think Ive ever seen one in person on the side of the street.
Payphones are seen in so many old movies that they are now rarely seen because of the evolution in technology. I also walked by a group of kids all in a maroon collared shirt and khaki colored pants. Then I realized that I was walking past St. James Lutheran Church and School. It’s interesting to see how uniforms are still very much present. I enjoyed attending public school because I had the freedom and was able to express myself through my clothes. I feel like sometimes attending private school sets a lot of restrictions. Once I reach Oz Park I notice all the trees and benches lined up. I cut through the baseball fields and sat on a bench somewhat near the Emerald Garden. I pulled out my notebook and started to list everything I noticed.
The Whole park was just filled with greens, yellows and reds. The green from the plants were vibrant and overpowering, but the couple of trees that had hints of yellow and red popped out in the field of green. The shapes of the park were organic. There weren’t a lot of sharp edges and everything felt in unison. There are many sidewalks throughout Oz Park making it a very walkable space. All in good condition and pretty leveled. There aren’t many cracks in the sidewalks. All the sidewalks are lined up with trees. Between a couple of the trees there were many new metal benches. The benches weren’t rusting or anything and felt sturdy. There is almost a trash can at every corner of the sidewalk. I only saw one porta-potty near the entrance to the park from W. Dickens Ave. I would think that it would smell more earthy being around all the grass, but it just smelt cleaner and refreshing. People really come together here. I noticed a board talking about community events like a movie night. I saw strangers getting along with each other because their dogs would interact. People use this space to reflect and take time to themselves or just the things around them. It was very windy so the leaves on the trees were blowing with the wind. They were making a whooshing sound. I overheard people talking about the breeds of their dog. Everything about Oz Park is beautiful. There are many artifacts and sculptures throughout Oz Park since it is inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but all of them were near the perimeter of the park.From the trees and nature to the community Oz Park creates. The only thing that could be improved or missing are lampposts. I feel like there should be more lampposts to light up the park at night.
Research a piece of public art that you have come across while walking in Chicago. What is the history of this piece of public art? Who is the artist? What is the purpose of the artwork? What is the meaning of the artwork? Where is the artwork located? In which neighborhood and/or community area? Was it the artwork commissioned? By whom? Why? What materials were used in creating the artwork? What have others written about the artwork?
During the walk I came across the Tin Man statue. The statue is in Lincoln Park, but specifically in Oz Park located south of W. Webster Avenue and West of N. Larrabee Street. The Tin Man was sculpted by John Kearney in 1995. In the early 1990s the advisory council started raising funds for the sculpture. The sculpture was to carry on the theme of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The park was named after the author Frank Baum in 1990 when he lived in Chicago. Since Oz Park is dedicated and inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the park includes areas such as Dorothy’s Playground and the Emerald Garden. John Kearney is known for creating sculptures made from chrome auto bumpers, so the Tin Man is made out of that. The statue is nine-foot-tall and weighs around 900 pounds. The Tin Man is very similar to the classic movie, but the statue has a heart. A young girl mentioned to Kearney that the Tin Man needed a heart, so Kearney added one to the sculpture.
