See Your Favorite Stories In 3D At Tinley's Benches On The Avenue

TINLEY PARK, IL —Stroll along Oak Park Avenue and you just might see your favorite story in 3D on 22 benches in downtown Tinley Park.

They're part of the village's annual Benches on the Avenue program, a public arts project now it its 16th year.

The goal, said Tinley's marketing assistant Joanne Carroll, is to bring the community together and to make the downtown area beautiful. In August, the village also will give awards several of the best.

This year drew the biggest number of participants, eight of them new, she said. Andrew and Hillcrest high schools were among the participants. So was Painted Turtle, an art studio for adults with developmental disabilities. The village accepted all 22 sketches that were submitted for approval, Carroll added.

Artists were asked to design family-friendly benches based on a "prized page- turners" theme designed to depict extraordinary and captivating popular novels. The call drew classics such as Gone With The Wind and megahits including Game of Thrones.

"I took a look at the finished ones before we put them on Oak Park Avenue, and you're just like 'holy cow!'" Carroll said. "The creativity of these artists is unbelievable."

Jennifer Lilly is one of the artists who "got the fever" — as Carroll likes to say — and returned for her 14th year to decorate more benches. This year, she painted two: Hunger Games and A Fish Out of Water.

"There’s always some sort of problem solving that goes along with it and you never quite know where that can take you," she said.

Newcomer Catherine Trezek chose the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, calling her work "Venture Down the River."

"I designed it so that you can (sit) hop onto the raft and join them on their venture down the Mississippi River," said Trezek, a graphic designer who recently returned to beloved art. " The raft and river is a symbol of friendship and freedom. Every item painted on the bench is a part of the story."

On August 10, residents will have a chance to meet the artists at their benches. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. they'll be available for chats and autographs. Later that night, during intermission at Music In The Plaza, village officials will hand out seven awards to the artists: most creative, best portrayal of the theme, best use of materials, best group/family project, best 3D, best first-time artist and judge's choice. The benches will be on display through October.

"I’m loving being a part of the arts again," Trezek said. "And I’m so glad that Tinley Park has such a wonderful art community."