The McLean County Museum of History is set to unveil a ten-foot corn sculpture in the center of historic downtown Bloomington on May 2, 2025, at 5 p.m.
The sculpture, entitled Star Crossed Pollinators, originally grew out of Bloomington’s Sesquicentennial Corn on the Curb initiative 25 years ago. Inspired by Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” in 1999, Corn on the Curb utilized one of the area’s most iconic exports and lots of puns to create a sense of communal pride. Over 20 local artists decorated the fiberglass corn sculptures which were then placed around town and later auctioned off.
Now, a quarter century later, the Museum, empowered by a Creative Catalyst Grant from the Illinois Art Council, is bringing the iconic corn back downtown as the inaugural Sculpture on the Square.
“This new public art initiative is an interdisciplinary approach to storytelling and place making,” says Museum Executive Director, Julie Emig. “We’re excited to preserve and share this piece of history with our community and look forward to bringing more locally significant sculptures to the square in the future.”
Herb Eaton’s sculpture will be accessioned into the Museum’s collection and preserved for generations to come. It previously sustained significant structural damage after being on display outside of the Eaton Gallery on Center Street in downtown Bloomington for over two decades. The sculpture is made of wood, stainless steel, fiberglass, hemp, canvas, and acrylic paint.
Click here to explore over 100 images from Corn on the Curb via the Museum’s collection on the Illinois Digital Archives.
Click here to learn more about the artist, Herb Eaton.
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