North River Commission
Ronan Park’s Multicultural Sculpture Park and Healing Garden is a project in the making. The sculptures in the exhibit reflect the healing, peace and unity themes of the park and garden. Ronan Park is located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, which has one of the city’s highest percentages of immigrants and is one of the most diverse areas in the U.S. It is also across the street from the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, which is dedicated to remembering and healing.
The North River Commission sponsored this exhibition and worked with Chicago Sculpture International, the River Park Advisory Council and the Chicago Park District to make it happen.
Six sculptures were installed in the fall of 2021 and continued to be renewed into 2025:
Currently Installed:
Ten Thousand Ripples—Three emerging Buddha by Indira Freitas Johnson
Deinstalled:
Beacon by Michael Alfano
November 2025
Ephemeral, Immortal by Janet Austin Deinstalled February 2026
Metro and Orbit by Todd Willing Deinstalled February 2026
Overseer by Andrea “Dora” Natella (1956-2023)
Deinstalled October 2026
Happy Family by Shencheng Xu
Deinstalled October 2026
Visit the Ronan Park Sculpture Garden Website →
Image credit: Sculpture by Dora Natella
Ronan Park: Janet Austin, "Ephemeral, Immortal", Stainless steel, copper, glass mosaic, concrete, etc., 11' x 13' x 10'" (Deinstalled February 2026)
Ronan Park: Janet Austin, "Ephemeral, Immortal", Stainless steel, copper, glass mosaic, concrete, etc., 11' x 13' x 10'" (Deinstalled February 2026)
Ronan Park: Dora Natella, "Overseer", Cast aluminum, 16' x 3' x 3' ( Deinstalled October 2026)
Ronan Park: Dora Natella, "Overseer", Cast aluminum, 16' x 3' x 3' ( Deinstalled October 2026)
Ronan Park: Shencheng Xu, "Happy Family", Steel and fiberglass, 102' x 46' x 45' ( Deinstalled October 2026)
Ronan Park: Shencheng Xu, "Happy Family", Steel and fiberglass, 102' x 46' x 45' ( Deinstalled October 2026)
Ronan Park: Todd Willing, "Metro and Orbit", Welded steel, (Metro: 97 x 44 x 39 in.; Orbit: 53 x 23. x 35 in.) (Deinstalled February 2026)
Ronan Park: Todd Willing, "Orbit", Welded steel, 53 x 23. x 35 in. (Deinstalled February 2026)
Ronan Park: Indira Freitas Johnson, "Ten Thousand Ripples—Three emerging Buddha sculptures", Cast fiberglass and resin, 28.5” x 28.5” x 28.5” (each sculpture)
Ronan Park: Indira Freitas Johnson, "Ten Thousand Ripples—Three emerging Buddha sculptures", Cast fiberglass and resin, 28.5” x 28.5” x 28.5” (each sculpture)
Ronan Park: Michael Alfano, "Beacon", Bronze, aluminum, granite base, 100" x 36" x 36" (Deinstalled October 2025)
Ronan Park: Michael Alfano, "Beacon", Bronze, aluminum, granite base, 100" x 36" x 36" (Deinstalled October 2025)