7. Mother and Child was created by Chicago artist Margot McMahon to commemorate the 75th anniversary of St. Mary’s Parish in Lake Forest. McMahon was also asked to design the sitting area around the sculpture, which includes trees and two limestone benches that flank the sculpture. The sitting area serves as a place for parents to meet their children after school and for parishioners to rest after church services. The sculpture itself depicts a woman, either a mother or teacher, supporting a child, either her child or student. The two figures face each other at eye level, showing that they are engaged in an equal conversation. Mother and Child embodies community and togetherness, inspiring those who encounter it to spend time with one another and cherish each other’s company. Margot McMahon, a lifelong environmentalist, sculpts human, plant, and animal forms to artistically convey her hope that decisions be made to support life on earth. McMahon earned her MFA from Yale University where she taught sculpture and drawing and has also taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, DePaul University, and other institutions. She has exhibited her drawings and sculptures in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Sante Fe, and Cincinnati. The Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society, the Chicago Horticultural Society and Botanic Gardens, and Yale University have her sculptures in their collections. Her work is also included in private collections in Chicago, New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.