German Village Schwein Park
(German Village Magazine – August 2020)
By John M. Clark
How often have you thought to yourself, “I wonder what Schiller Park would look like if it were reimagined for pigs?” Yeah, same here. But we don’t have to speculate any more, thanks to the whimsical artistry of Carol Schar.
(German Village Magazine – August 2020)
By John M. Clark
How often have you thought to yourself, “I wonder what Schiller Park would look like if it were reimagined for pigs?” Yeah, same here. But we don’t have to speculate any more, thanks to the whimsical artistry of Carol Schar.
Carol, as you may know, is much more at home in her studio with paints and canvas … or creating watercolors of homes featured on the annual Haus und Garten Tour. But a few months ago, she was confronted by Bert Stevens. The grande dame of Schiller Park gardens wanted to create a destination for the park’s many younger visitors in the space occupied the past two summers by a “mouse village.” Few people have lived to say “no” to Bert. And so, she went to work on a theme.
A surprisingly large number of individual scenes will challenge both young and old to find all of the similarities between “Schwein Park” and Schiller Park. The Schiller monument is represented by one proud porcine, leaning against an overturned trash can. Nearby, a “plein air” pig (perhaps meant to portray artist Jeff Stahler?) paints a portrait of – who else? – Miss Piggy.
As an avid thrift store customer, Carol had already amassed a large collection of miniature pigs in plastic and ceramic. And so, the idea for a German Village “Schwein Park” was born. Much of the initial work took place in the artist’s South Florida vacation home. There, she created the individual pieces that would eventually comprise the “park within a park.” Then, returning to her Mohawk Street home just a few weeks ago, Carol began laying out her garden behind the tiny wrought iron fence just east of Schiller Park’s City Park Avenue entrance.
Then, there’s the Umbrella piglet in her own, elevated fountain. The late Fred Holdridge and Howard Burns, two of the neighborhood’s biggest boosters for more than 40 years, are portrayed by two pink flamingos. Fred’s, of course, even sports the late shopkeeper’s signature captain’s hat. And there are many more surprises, all of which are best discovered on your own.
Creating “Scwein Garden” has been a bittersweet project for Carol. After 33 years in German Village, she will be moving in the coming weeks to Virginia, to be closer to her two adult dauthters. So, she has made sure that every lamppost … every bench … every piece of “brick” sidewalk has been placed with a visitor’s overall experience in mind. As a “farewell” gift to German Village, “Schwein Park” should no doubt fulfill Carol’s desire to leave a bit of her artistry behind for others to enjoy.
GARDEN of the MONTH Schwein Garden in Schiller Park August 2020