The following article was written by Diana Bolander, Assistant Director/Curator at the Rahr-West Art Museum for the Art Forward series.
The Rahr-West Art Museum Public Art Committee coordinated a collaborative project with Manitowoc Public Utility throughout downtown this summer and early fall, contracting with ten local artists to paint designs on utility boxes. Eight of our ten artists are finished painting! All designs were inspired by works in the Rahr-West Art Museum Collection. This project was funded by the City of Manitowoc Room Tax Commission and in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Before hearing from the artists, a huge shout-out to local Boy Scout Troop 904 contracted to clean, sand, and prime the boxes to get them ready for the artists. This was hard work and without the sweat labor of the Atomic Scorpion, Thunderbirds, Lost Arrow, and Midnight Falcon Units this project would not have been completed so quickly.
Artist: Erika Christel, Title: Borzoi Hope, Location: 8th and Maritime Drive
What led you to apply for this project?
I’ve always been interested in art, especially acrylic and watercolor paintings. I’ve never done a mural before and thought this would be a great first public art project for me to help beautify our downtown and push me to be a better artist.
What piece did you pick from the collection and why/how did it inspire you?
I picked Borzoi Watching by Frances Myers. The color palette is mostly purple, pink, and blue, which I thought would nicely stand out from the natural colors that surround it. It’s also a very simple painting, meaning it’s easy to appreciate the design from afar, no matter where you are in Shipbuilders Park.
I also liked this piece because it felt like it had meaning. The borzoi seemed to be longing for something, and when I redesigned the painting, I could easily keep that theme prominent in the painting by having the borzoi looking forward to the sun, which is why I named it “Borzoi Hope.”
And finally, who doesn’t like dogs? A borzoi is a lanky-looking dog with a very distinct snout, and I’ve always liked them for standing out.
Did you interact with the public when you were working on the box?
I worked on my box during Ryder Cup weekend, and it was heartwarming that almost a dozen different people with strong accents came up to me to say it looked good. It’s good to know public art is appreciated by residents and tourists alike.
Artist: Sonia Vasquez, Title: Poco Malhumorada, Location: 10th Street Bridge Tender South, west side of City Hall
What led you to apply for this project?
I saw that the Rahr was hosting the project and thought it would be a good opportunity to not only add art to the city, but also to work within my own mission to tell stories not always seen in the Western art world.
What piece did you pick from the collection and why/how did it inspire you?
I’ve always loved 19th century traditional artwork and painters, especially Bouguereau. It’s one of my favorite pieces in the collection. So, I knew I wanted to use it as a reference for my piece.
Little Sulky tells the story of craft being passed down and I wanted to use that narrative to help tell the story of Mexican embroidery.
Did you interact with the public when you were working on the box?
A man stopped by to chat about what I was painting. He was Hispanic as well, so we bonded over discussing traditional craft. He also told me about being homeless in Manitowoc, what he’s seen and experienced. It made me want to take a more active role in finding solutions to help those struggling with homelessness in the county.
Artist: Grace Barden, Title: Delay Dawn on Plank Road, Location: 8th Street, Bridge Tender South
What led you to apply for this project?
My family sent me information about the project and I noticed one already up in town. I thought it would be really cool to have one of my own to paint. I have had some experience with murals because I did quite a few at Wilson Middle School and I thought it would be fun to have that experience again!
What piece did you pick from the collection and why/how did it inspire you?
I chose Garden Flowers by Frank Martin and Great Egret Preening by Robert Bateman. Frank Martin inspired my color palette choices and inspired me to add flowers like daisies and the occasional red flower to brighten my design. I chose a bright olive green that I pulled from the vase in that art piece and I used bright colors throughout my work. I chose to add a sandhill crane to bring the sense of home in northeast Wisconsin. From top to bottom, I was most inspired by the world around me, and specifically, the sunrises and sunsets that I am able to see on Plank Road. Though I pulled inspiration from those art pieces, I also pulled a lot from nature to form what I believe to be a perfect sunset full of birds, flowers, and rolling hills.
Did you interact with the public when you were working on the box?
The support from the community was overwhelming in the sense that every day I went there to work, at least 3 people asked what I was doing or what it was for. A lot of people wanted to see my design and wanted to know how to get a utility box to paint. I also loved that some families had taken a few photos in front of it during a senior picture session. I also enjoyed interacting with the individuals that work at the bridge tender and hearing what they thought of my progress, because they had a great view of the box.
Artist: Mary Hamachek, Title: Sailing the Rough Seas, Location: Maritime Drive between the YMCA and Baymont Inn
What led you to apply for this project?
I have always wanted to do a mural project and I love being able to share my art with the rest of the world. It makes people happy. I love that Manitowoc is involved in so many art projects!
What piece did you pick from the collection and why/how did it inspire you?
The piece I picked as my inspiration was a painting of a sailboat on the water near a lighthouse by Ruth Rahr Vinton. It inspired me because my life is a rough sea at times and the lighthouse in the picture represents a beacon that shines in the darkness and helps guide me back to shore.
Did you interact with the public when you were working on the box?
I had quite a few people stop and look at what I was doing. I got a lot of compliments and a few expressed how they love what Manitowoc is doing with art too. One gentleman took a picture and asked if I had any business cards after I told him about the art page I had on Facebook. He was asking if I did any other projects. He was interested in having me involved in some future mural project!
Artist: Jennifer Anne, Title: Elements, Location: Rahr-West Art Museum parking lot
What led you to apply for this project?
I knew that it would be a great exercise for me as an artist (to work under deadline, and to ‘respond’ to pieces within the collection). Honestly, the fact that there was an honorarium was a big factor; I already spend a good deal of unpaid time doing art and other volunteering projects so only have room for so many of those, to still be able to pay my bills.
What piece did you pick from the collection and why/how did it inspire you?
Inspiration for my design came from Island by Stanley William Hayter. Island is evocative of sun, land, water, connection, and movement, without using representational imagery. Shapes and lines are informed by their neighboring shapes and lines, illustrating an evolution.
Did you interact with the public when you were working on the box?
I was happily surprised by the many positive comments of neighbors walking or biking by, as well as comments from Rahr staff and contractors! I had been prepared for the “My child could paint that” or “You went to *school* for that?” feedback that all artists hear periodically throughout our careers. People thanked me for doing the painting and said they liked the looks of the design. An employee of a nearby business was leaving in her car for lunch one day, and told me that she and her colleagues had been having fun watching the progress of the design from their conference room, which had a good view of the utility box. To anyone who said they liked the design, I replied that I was so glad, since they were the ones who would be seeing it day after day.
A full interactive map with information about all of the sites will be available at https://www.manitowoc.org/2363/Public-Arts when all ten utility boxes are complete. Follow us at http://www.facebook.com/RahrWestArtMuseum for announcements on this and other programs. The Rahr West Art Museum is a department of the City of Manitowoc.