16. Common Grackle by Chicago sculptor Janet Austin was completed in 2010 and installed outside of Stirling Hall, a Lake Forest ceramics studio where Austin herself has taught classes. The larger-than-life statue depicts a grackle, a bird often regarded as a nuisance for its irritating cry and tendency to pilfer the eggs of more pleasant songbirds. Despite the bird’s bothersome nature, the statue itself is quite alluring. The iridescent blue tiles covering its head along with the deep black cement composing its body are an imaginative representation of the bird’s natural plumage. Janet Austin received her Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree from Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado and her Master’s degree in printmaking and art history from Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Art in Florence, Italy. She creates work in various sculptural media, including glass, mosaics, concrete, bronze, and steel, and her pieces explore the relationships between humans and nature on a monumental scale. Austin’s work has graced public spaces across the country, including parks, zoos, botanic gardens, plazas, and transportation hubs.