A Whale of a School by Victoria Fuller
The concrete whale, with a head almost nine feet high and a tail raised five feet in the air, is a testament to Highlands Elementary slogan, “A whale of a school.” The whale is a symbol of school pride and connection between students of past, present and future.
Title: A Whale of a School
Artist: Victoria Fuller
Location: Highlands Elementary School
Medium: sculpture
Creation Date: 2011
Installation Date: 2011
Installation Story: A community effort, members of Highlands Home and School organization donated money to the project in order to secure the artist. The Century Walk awarded Highlands a grant to assist with the creation. And many volunteers gave their time and talents to create the art. North Central College and District 203 buildings and grounds departments provided muscle when needed. More than 200 bags of concrete were used to create the whale and actual construction tool 3 months.
Description: The concrete whale, with a head almost nine feet high and a tail raised five feet in the air, is a testament to Highlands Elementary slogan, “A whale of a school.” The whale is a symbol of school pride and connection between students of past, present and future.
History Behind Art: The school adopted the slogan “A Whale of a School” in 1983, and in the following years, several small whale sculptures were purchased in honor of a student with a fondness for the animal, who later succumbed to illness. In 1997, the school built the original whale out of recycled materials, but had to tear it down in 2010 because of wear-and-tear. This piece replaces the original wooden whale sculpture (which had been created by artist Joe LaMantia).