Chicago is known for many things – its food, baseball, nightlife, culture and more.
The city is also known for its diverse array of public art, from the infamous Cloud Gate at Millennial Park (aka “the Bean”) to the Crown Fountain mere yards away.
But are there any installations that are universally disliked? Fine-art printing provider Rivers Art asked 2,000 Americans to name the ugliest pieces of public art in America and compiled a list of the most common answers.
Here’s how Chicago’s art fared.
America’s Ugliest Public Art in 2025
The following pieces emerged as the least liked in the country:
Chicago’s Batcolumn makes Ugliest Public Art list
Chicago’s Batcolumn structure ranked No. 13 on the list of 90 pieces.
The 101-foot, lattice-shell baseball bat sculpture was designed by Swedish artist Claes Oldenburg in 1977 after being commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration. It combines “a humorous and irreverent attitude toward popular objects” and is seen as an homage to the American sport of baseball or a salute to the steel industry, according to the City of Chicago website. It currently towers over pedestrians in front of Harold Washington Security Center in Chicago’s West Loop.
“This sculpture is literally a giant steel baseball bat standing upright in front of an office building,” the survey found. “The odd combination of massive size and complete lack of detail makes it look like a utility pole rather than artwork. Its plain, tubular form is stark and unappealing, and while it nods to Chicago’s sports culture, it’s mostly remembered for being an oversized, unattractive gimmick.”
Chicago Picasso lands on list of America’s Ugliest Public Art
Chicago’s untitled Picasso sculpture ranked No. 37 on the list.
The 50-foot, 160-ton artpiece was commissioned in 1963 by the architects of the Richard J. Daley Center and placed in the city’s famous Daley Plaza. Spanish artist Pablo Picasso worked on the sculpture for two years and unveiled it for the people of Chicago in 1967 without ever explaining what it was meant to represent.
The survey describes the structure as a piece that “dominates Daley Plaza with its towering, rust-colored form. Some see a bird, others a horse, and many say it looks like nothing at all. Its sharp angles and cold, industrial surface clash with the civic setting, leaving the piece feeling harsh and unwelcoming. While famous, it has also long been criticized as one of the city’s least attractive landmarks, more confusing than inspiring.”
Chicago’s Harry Caray statue makes Ugliest Public Art list
Built to honor Cubs sports broadcaster Harry Caray, the Wrigleyville statute landed at No. 49 on the list.
The statue features Caray holding his microphone out to the crowd, as the broadcaster often did during the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” according to Choose Chicago.
“Meant to honor the beloved Cubs broadcaster, this bronze statue depicts Harry Caray with his mouth wide open, frozen mid-exclamation,” the survey remarked. “But the caricature-like detailing, exaggerated features, and awkward pose have led many to find it more disturbing than celebratory. Instead of capturing his warm personality, it leaves him looking ghoulish, his face twisted in a way that makes visitors do a double take.”
Survey finds that enlarged objects, statues of people are common offenders
Several common themes appeared in the list, namely oversized objects and statues of humans.
Oversized objects, such as the Batcolumn, “show how often ‘big’ is mistaken for ‘better,'” according to the survey. Meanwhile, the repeat mentions of human statutes, such as Harry Caray, show that “human likeness is the hardest trick to pull off, and mistakes are instantly obvious,” the survey found.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: New survey ranks America’s Ugliest Public Art. See which Illinois pieces made the list
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
