When 1,000 people were recorded to be part of Millennium Park’s (now iconic) Crown Fountain, George W. Bush was president. A dozen eggs cost about $1.30. And Millennium Park was a 24-acre hole in the skyline.
The park was supposed to open at the start of the Millennium. That did not happen. Four years late and millions over budget, the ribbon-cutting took place July 16, 2004.
No one cared once they saw that glittering bean. And, of course, the spitting face fountains were quickly embraced, especially by Chicago’s children. (I remember, in first grade, going downtown meant “seeing the faces.” I couldn’t wait. It was like looking into a magic portal.)
But who are they?
The Plan for Crown Fountain
Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, the mastermind behind Crown Fountain, had a vision: two 50-foot-tall video screens would bring visitors in. Not just into the city, but into the piece.
“One of my dreams had been to invite people to walk on water,” Plensa told Sculpture magazine, comparing the fountains to “transparent houses.” But when it came to the images themselves, he wanted the public art to channel the spirit of locals.
“Public space is owned by a city’s inhabitants … I wanted my work to represent an archive of the city’s inhabitants,” Plensa said. To do that, the School of the Art Institute reached out to 200 community groups for “ordinary” volunteers.
In exchange for free transportation, snacks, and a T-shirt, 1,000 Chicagoans turned out to get videotaped sitting in an adjustable dentist chair for 15 minutes apiece.
They were told to relax, smile, close their eyes, and blow.
A spitting face one night last August, shortly before Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
The Souls of the Fountain
The full list of the 1,000 Crown Fountain participants is not publicly available. (That’s at SAIC under lock and key.) Some participants were children, now grown. Many have passed away. Several were highlighted last year in the Sun-Times. Among them:
- Homer Bryant founded the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, which taught Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga.
- Donald Staley died at 84 in 2016, and his death notice urged people to go see the fountain. It also paid homage to Staley’s longtime life partner.
- Sisters
Tuyen Tran and Jessica
Pan took a youth program bus to get taped in middle school. Their parents owned a restaurant on Argyle Street.
Recently, one Reddit user shared that they were included on the fountain, adding: “I can neither confirm nor deny that my soul is trapped in there. I have a pretty nice life, all things considered.”
Kids love cooling down in Crown Fountain. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
