Sunday in the Park Sculptures

Davenport, Iowa

Twelve full-color fiberglass versions of people and props from the 1880s painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte," by Georges Seurat.

The sculptures were made in 2000 by Thom Gleich of Davenport. Students painted them using a pointillism technique similar to Seurat's.

Over time the fiberglass began to crack. Vandals assaulted the statues, stealing various pieces as well as the head of one of the picnickers. The little girl sculpture was kidnapped, and found later in a bathroom.

Retired Davenport art teacher Jean Downey restored the fiberglass sculptures, giving them new paint and varnish, repairing the cracks, and replacing all that had been stolen. The sculptures were placed back on view in July 2022, this time in a more heavily trafficked location to discourage future attacks.

The Midwest is actually an appropriate spot for this tribute, since the original painting, despite being French, hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.