Welcome, Summer

When I think of Chicago, I think of Crown Fountain in Millennial Park, which runs along  Michigan Avenue adjacent to the Art Institute. The iconic buildings along the street are like walls to a glass canyon — and as the summer days get longer, the sun aligns itself with the city, its beams bouncing and reflecting over hundreds of carefree kids laughing and splashing in the water.  When Rodney King asked, "Can we all  get along?, Can we all get along?"" this is what he meant. All we need are  sunshine, water and community. 

Designed by Jaume Plensa, Crown Fountain has two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images of faces of Chicago citizens. Often, the LED faces have water coming out of their mouths, like sculpted fountain gargoyles, allowing water, a symbol of life, to flow out.