Stained Glass (2004) - by Mike Hill

 Stained Glass - by Mike Hill

Installed: 2004

Steel, glass and concrete / H 9 ft. x W 15 ft. x D 15 ft. 

Location: 1st District Police Station

 1715 S. State St., Chicago

Commissioned by the City of Chicago Percent for Art program.

Chicago artist Mike Hill designed Stained Glass to relate to the architectural scale and elements of the 1st District Police Station and to reference the familiar checkered band motif of the police uniform cap. Four tinted architectural glass block and cast steel panels are located at the four corners of a plaza paved in cast steel and concrete. A concrete bench is located at the center of the installation. The steel blocks and paving tiles were fabricated from scrap steel, the by-product of illegal firearms confiscated and destroyed by the Chicago Police Department. The artist chose this material to symbolize one of the shared concerns of police officers; specifically, approaching any situation in which one might be threatened by firearms. The steel is transformed here to create a contemplative space that honors those who protect the community.

Source: City of Chicago Public Art website