F O U N D A CLOSER LOOK AT CHAMPAIGN’S RADIO MARIA
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FOUND IN RADIO MARIA: The tables are made from U of I Harker Hall doors, with ephemera from Sharon’s collection. Window ledges, stone lavatory counters and stall partitions are from Linden Hall (women’s dorm) shower stalls. Dining room pendant lights are salvaged from Gibson City Elementary School. Wall sconces are fashioned from salvaged prism glass and tin ceiling panels. The doors to dining room are from the Urbana Sheriff’s residence. The back bar and wall partitions are made from Collegiate Cap & Gown Factory windows. Colored glass (vitrolite) is salvaged exterior architectural glass. The bar handrail is the escalator handrail from Bergner’s department store. Red velvet bar front is from Sidney grade school stage valence. Slate foot rest is from Danville VA Hospital stair treads. Aluminum cowling is from aeronautical lab windtunnel chamber. Aluminum disk is from Champaign Cinema Theater (film reels). Up lights and down lights are drink jiggers. Stainless drum and fittings are salvaged science equipment. Holophane globe is from an early subway or Pullman lamp and an oiler from Model T car. Pendant lights over bar are U of I vacuum sending tubes. The beer tower is modeled after a Bradley hand washing station.
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RADIO MARIA is a restaurant and tapas bar located in Downtown Champaign, Illinois. The restaurant strives to source the best products seasonally and regionally whenever possible to let the flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves. The menu draws from the wealth of produce grown in the Midwest. Paired with an extensive wine and beer list, Radio Maria aims to give the guest the absolute best experience dining out. 5
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THE RESTAURANT was constructed by its owners, David Spears and Sharon Owens, both artists who studied at the University of Illinois in sculpture and painting. Colling and using found objects from the past has inspired both artists in the creation of Radio Maria.
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DAVID’S SCULPTURAL PURSUITS are predicated on his salvaging of industrial and mechanical materials from the era of man-made objects, re-purposed for art’s sake. Many of the materials used in the restaurant’s interior have been collected from the local area and surrounding communities.
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LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE products are used whenever possible to create seasonally driven preparations. The seafood and meats come from natural waters and sustainable farms to give the diners the highest quality and freshest product.
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Found: A Closer Look at Champaign’s Radio Maria Design and photography by Katie Anderson. This project was completed as partial credit for the Fall 2015 ARTD 410 Vertical Studio in the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the direction of Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Rachele Riley. Type: Avenir LT Std 35 Light and Avenir Black. Special thanks to Radio Maria’s General Manager, Wesam Arafa, for allowing Katie to take photos of the restaurant.
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