Art is everywhere at the Science and Arts Academy in Des Plaines — plastered along the walls, dangling from the ceiling and now on the school’s front lawn.

A 4-by-4-foot blue aluminum sculpture was recently built and donated by artist Neal Weinfield, who has two sons enrolled in the school. The 400-pound piece took almost a year to create and paint and is titled “Eagle Nebula” — a fitting name since the academy’s mascot is the eagle.

Nestled near the main entrance, the artwork emphasizes the school is an arts academy as well as a school for science, Weinfeld said. He hopes the sculpture inspires students to pursue careers outside of science and math. Weinfeld is a lawyer but says he makes time for his passion — sculpting.

“I want kids to open their minds and not be just a lab tech,” said Weinfield, who also has pieces displayed at a swimming pool for the Deerfield Park District as well as a community center and two schools in Highland Park. “They need to be well-balanced.”

Science, he added, is really about creativity and exploration and “a scientist that doesn’t have a creative outlet is not nearly as valuable as one that does.”

School officials and students agree. Dozens of students stood and watched the piece installed on a recent afternoon, chatting excitedly about its meaning and offering several interpretations. “Eagle Nebula” portrays a cluster of stars surrounded by dark gas and dust.

“It just inspires thought and it really portrays the school,” said student John Valin, 12, as he marveled at the sculpture and talked about his love for all school subjects. “It shows our spirit for learning and knowledge.”

A few feet away, Will Weinfield, the artist’s son, said he was amazed by the finished product. Parts of the piece jut out in different directions, but are brought together by the center, which is similar to the different talents of the students who are connected through the academy.

“You’d expect something like that to be in front of a college or a high school,” the 12-year-old said.

Art teacher Rhonda Popko said she plans to incorporate the piece into her 3-D lessons and it will help her explain positive and negative space. The sculpture will make her students want to expand their ideas, she added.

“I think they’ll be inspired by just having something they can actually physically walk around,” she said. “It’s possible, even if you’re an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer, to be an artist when you want to be…it should be a part of their lives.

The school draws students from 41 communities, including Park Ridge, Schaumburg, Downers Grove, Elgin, Northbrook, and Highland Park.