The sculpture project began when a group of St. Charles residents decided that an art piece should be created to honor Max and Doris Hunt for their lifelong contributions to the community. The Hunt family embraced the idea – but their input was that any artistic rendering should reflect the community. They said “for our parents, it was never about them. It was always about the particular need, or project, being met.”
Sculptor Guy J. Bellaver was chosen to design a piece that met these criteria. The concept that was chosen from a series of designs – reflections – is a sculpture in Mr. Bellaver’s Quarks Series. The Quarks Series is inspired by Fermilab – the proton-antiproton collider that investigates High-Energy Physics, the science of matter, space, and time. The collision of the protons and antiprotons can only be seen when captured by a very high resolution camera. The collision images are the basis for the Quarks Series, which explores mass that is exploding and creating disintegrating arcs – the large segments represent mass, and the rod represents that mass leaving one area, and exploding into another. Each sculpture in the series continues the artist’s career-long exploration of the relationship of positive to negative space, and the energy of their interaction.
reflections maquette
Bellaver explains the sculpture’s design and name, “I first met Max and Doris Hunt when we moved to St. Charles in 1985. Max was the co-chair of the Ēkwabet project, and he and Doris were involved in so many things, and they always encouraged those around them to contribute and participate – to see themselves with the community as their backdrop. For this memorial, I decided that I wanted to create another piece in my Quarks Series – sculptures that are all about energy. But I wanted this work to be made from highly polished stainless steel to allow community members to look at the sculpture and see themselves reflected within the city.”
Guy Bellaver [on forklift] and Ekwabet Public Art Project Co-Chairs Terry Grove [left] and Max Hunt [right]
reflections is the 17th sculpture in the Quarks series, which translates the physics of high energy collisions into art. The sculpture is made of polished stainless steel, standing 12′ tall. It is reflective of the river and the area around its location, as well as the people viewing it. This sculpture is an interpretation of energy, which comes from volunteers who energize their community – people like Max and Doris Hunt, whom the sculpture honors. The highly polished and reflective stainless steel sculpture speaks to the Hunt’s character as people who always encouraged those around them to contribute and participate – to see themselves with the community as their backdrop.
Some of the 17 sculptures in the Quarks Series:
reflections at Volunteer Plaza 