Mysterious artifact appears in Freeport Illinois
The once quiet town of Freeport Illinois was rocked by the sudden appearance of a large metallic object that seemingly appeared out of nowhere the morning of August 15th 2025.
above: traveling human artist and local human artist for scale
photo credit: Jessica Modica
FROM ORION is now proudly on display in downtown Freeport Illinois for the Freeport Art Museum Sculpture Walk. I am humbled to be among some really great sculptors in a cool town with a truly excellent museum. If you’re ever nearby, be sure to stop by. Also try Mort's Bar & Grill for a truly amazing burger.
Photos of the exhibit on the Freeport Art Museum website.
September 2025 to September 2026
at the corner of E Stephenson St and N Chicago Ave
2 E Stephenson St, Freeport, IL 61032
BTS
(behind the scenes)
Until someone decides to give FROM_ORION a permanent home, it continues its journey around the midwest. I did this trip solo, flying into Chicago and renting a U-haul.
Chicago to Rock Falls to Freeport and back to Chicago within 24 hours. Phew! [wipes sweat from brow]
above: my route from Chicago to Rock Falls to Freeport to Chicago
Rock Falls Illinois
planes, cranes, & improvisations
roads and more roads
Freeport Illinois
above: unlike most sculptures that have ugly mounting bolts around the base, I designed FROM_ORION with a clever system that makes these bolts invisible to the viewer and allows me the opportunity to get crushed each time I install.
photo credit: Jessica Modica
… about FROM_ORION …
FROM_ORION is an award-winning marvel of design, a scientifically precise three-dimensional map of the Orion constellation that forces us to think outside of our self-centered perspectives.
While its encoded message may not be immediately apparent from afar, as viewers approach and gaze upward, they are greeted with the revelation that this is a sky map, with each star location connected to form the constellation Orion as described by the ancient Greeks.
This sculpture is inspired by childhood memories of looking at the night sky with my father, learning about the myths associated with each constellation and gazing with wonder at the majesty of the unimaginable distances and innumerable worlds before my eyes. My hope is to widen viewers' perspectives beyond our differences and connect through universal truths we share on our tiny planet.
A big thank-you to the friendly public works folks in Freeport and Rock Falls. Proper planning made everything go smoothly with no major snafus. Hard work and little sleep, but I enjoy a challenge, seeing new places, and meeting other people who share my passion for bringing art to public spaces.
FROM_ORION now shines brightly in Freeport until next September when a new, as yet determined, adventure awaits!
Stay curious, stay creative, and until our next artistic escapade. 🎨
- Damon
Many thanks to:
Jessica Modica Freeport Art Museum, Executive Director
Sarah Tapper Freeport Art Museum, Director of Programs and Exhibitions
Melinda Jones City of Rock Falls, Director of Tourism & Events
@thinksculpture ‘s amazing artisans Brian Witmer, Ben Blaney, and Caroline Folkenroth-Miley for use of their space and their fabrication expertise helping me build FROM_ORION.
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Here’s a picture of a dog:
