Berwyn in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, 1982

By James Seawright

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 31, 2026

1. Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, 1982 Marker

Inscription. The artist celebrates the space-age technology of the early 80's by using it to create sculptures that reflect the forms of nature. These flowers "bloom" through computer-controlled programs. Light emitting diodes (LED's) are the means through which the night flowers display their patterns of life, while the movement of the daytime flowers are evoked by the use of plastic discs and automated mechanical devices.

James Seawright, born in 1936 in Jackson, Mississippi, was Director of Visual Arts at Princeton University at the time this work was created. One of the foremost technological artists since the late 60's, some of his major pieces are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum of New York City, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, the New Jersey State Museum at Trenton, and other museums throughout the world.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1982.

Location. 41° 50.937′ N, 87° 48.169′ W. Marker is in Berwyn, Illinois, in Cook County. It can

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be reached from Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) south of Cermak Road (22nd Street), on the right when traveling north. The marker and accompanying art are in Cermak Plaza, just right of the entrance into Marshalls. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7163 Cermak Road, Berwyn IL 60402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Chenstochow Holocaust Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Pinsk Holocaust Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Holocaust Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Veterans Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); Anshe Chodorkov Cemetery

Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, 1982 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 31, 2026

2. Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, 1982

(approx. 0.7 miles away); Berwyn Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berwyn.

Regarding Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, 1982. This James Seawright artwork—its LED functionality, as best as can be determined, apparently out of use for many years—is the last vestige of Cermak Plaza's one-time status as an iconic modern-art hub. Throughout the shopping center, located at the southwest corner of Harlem Avenue and Cermak Road (22nd Street), were unique modern art pieces that, based on archival photo evidence, described by blue signs similar to the one next to "Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers."

Among the many works at Cermak Plaza, the most famous was the "Spindle," a 50-foot spear impaling eight old cars that made a cameo appearance in the movie "Wayne's World." The Spindle was removed in 2008 after many years of deterioration, replaced a year later by a new Walgreens; the other works were removed due either to similar decay, or during renovations of the shopping center. However, this Seawright piece and its accompanying blue sign remain in place next to Marshalls.

Also see . . .
1. About James Seawright.

Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, in front of Marshalls image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 31, 2026

3. Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers, in front of Marshalls

A biography of James Seawright, from his official website. Seawright died at the age of 85 in 2022. (Submitted on January 31, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. What’s the deal with the art at Cermak Plaza?. (Submitted on January 31, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Cermak Plaza image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 31, 2026

4. Cermak Plaza

Ever-Blooming Night and Day Flowers is on the left side of this photo; the Harlem Ave. entrance into Cermak Plaza is on the right.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 62 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 31, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.