In Search of a Rainbow

It all began nearly a decade ago with Cows on Parade. A couple years ago Suite Home Chicago hit a new low for public art displays. Just when I was convinced this kind of art display bordered on street clutter, Park Ridge put on a fine display of its own.
Around the last week of June, I saw the first rainbow appear near the local fire station. Then they started popping up in other public spaces — Hodges Park, the library, shopping areas, and even my own parish of St. Paul of the Cross. If they did anything, they brightened my day.
«In Search of a Rainbow» is the title for this community display of 53 decorated rainbows, each roughly 5 feet wide by 3 feet tall. Rainbow Hospice, a Park Ridge-​based palliative care institution has a Good Mourning program to assist children and teens with grief and loss experiences. As a way to promote this program and raise awareness their services to the community, the rainbows are a wonderful promotional idea that brightens the landscape too. After the display ends this summer, each one will be sold off, with proceeds going to Rainbow Hospice.
Artists from the area, art students from Maine South HS and the other local schools came together to put on a great collection of these rainbows around town.
Seems my favorite ones are mostly along the Northwest Highway stretch between St. Paul of the Cross and the 444 building, the office for Rainbow Hospice. On early morning July 4^th I rode my bike around town and took pictures of my favorite ones. Each rainbow has its own plaque stating its title, artist (s) and sponsor.
I posted some pictures with my review. Also, this web site link gives you a Google map of all the rainbows around town:
My favorite one, called «The Scales of Justice» doesn’t even look like a rainbow, but more like an ancient astronomical device made of solid marble and turned on its side. It stands in front of 444 Northwest Highway as well. Another on the corner of Prospect and NW Highway features a sun and shiny blue planets embedded in the rainbow. And my 3^rd favorite is a bald eagle painted by Emerson Middle School, right by the fire station at Oakton & Greenwood.
So why not take a look around town and find your own favorite before summer ends?