Local artist to construct dynamic piece for new ice center

When the new Glenview Community Ice Center opens next year, a striking sculpture will dazzle the eyes of those walking in the door.

Built exclusively for the Glenview Park District, the artwork will stretch from the floor (around the fireplace enclosure) up to the ceiling.

It’s the creation of Elisa R. Boughner of Artifex Studio in Glenview. The Glenview Park District Board of Commissioners entered into an agreement with the local artist at last night’s park board meeting. The artwork, created exclusively for the Glenview community, will consist of a metal sub structure, an aluminum fascia and fused glass inserts. It will also have a stone and glass mosaic front at the bottom and around the fireplace enclosure.

The artist has a rich history in the community. Boughner grew up in Glenview and she has already left her mark on the district with such eye-stoppers as a contemporary art-in-the-park sculpture she designed for Flick Park. It’s a cast 12-inch glass mother bird and her 10-foot tall aluminum tree. You can see it at the Synnestvedt Arboretum in Flick Park. Boughner was also the recipient of the Wagner Farm Dairy Breakfast poster contest in 2018, selected from over 40 entries. Growing up in Glenview, Boughner recalled her early connection to the park district was through Wagner Farm. She noted how amazing it felt to be a little girl, knowing she lived so close to a big city, and still being able to see cows in her hometown.

The price tag for the ice center sculpture is not to exceed $178,887, funded by the Glenview Park Foundation, which also funded the “Art in the Park” at Flick Park.

“We at the Glenview Park Foundation are very fortunate to have been able to support many projects in the Glenview community for nearly 25 years. The successful partnership forged with Glenview artist Elisa Boughner led us to the monumental project to be undertaken at the Glenview Community Ice Center. We are extremely proud to contribute to this transformational new facility in a way that acknowledges not only the civic pride of our residents, but also the joyful innocence of activities that were once born in our neighborhood parks,” said Jeff Thoelecke, Past President of the Glenview Park Foundation.

The sculpture will be located on the south west side of the Glenview Community Ice Center’s main atrium.