If you don't think of art when you think of 'the mall,' you should visit the Cermak Plaza; its sure to change your mind.

This shopping center commissioned artists to spruce up the place, and what they created has been ruffling the tailfeathers of locals ever since.

The largest piece of art resulting from the plaza's 'sprucing up' is called "The Spindle." Artist Dustin Shuler skewered eight cars (that's right, automobiles) on a giant nail in the middle of the mall's parking lot.

Along the sidewalk are twenty other visual- and sound-related sculptures in various stages of disrepair, including "Pinto Pelt," the skinned gold shell of the notoriously flammable Ford.

While the pieces may not be as stunning as when they were originally installed (time stops for no man, nor piece of art), there is certainly enough to keep any viewer entertained.

Not everyone likes "The Spindle," though complaints have dwindled since it appeared in the hit movie "Wayne's World."

Finally, if Berwyn police have a say in things, The Spindle will never come down. They use the mall to haze new recruits; dispatchers send rookies out to the plaza to investigate an "eight-car pileup." Crazy cops!

The Cermak Plaza is located at 7043 Cermak Road (at Cermak and Harlem Roads), Berwyn, IL 60402. Their number is (708) 344-9242. Head out there and have fun!