The following article is a part of the Rahr-West Art Museum’s Art Forward series.
Public art is a driving force in the City of Manitowoc’s revitalization, and the Rahr-West Art Museum is launching a Public Art Tour App to share the city’s cultural habitat with more of the public. The web-based app tour, found at https://rahrwest.stqry.app/ , roams Manitowoc’s downtown and beyond, exhibiting the vibrant murals, crafted sculptures and cultural gems that make the city’s neighborhoods unique.
With 31 stops featuring Manitowoc’s public art, there is a sight for everyone to see in the walkable tour of the downtown area and nearby parks. The app features an interactive map depicting the location of each mural and sculpture. In addition, every public art stop is described in detail including the piece’s title, location, artist(s) and the creative inspiration behind the piece. Photography and related links featuring additional information on the art or topic are also included for each public art site.
The Rahr-West Public Arts App aligns Manitowoc with some of the country’s emerging cities, each of which recognize the fundamental importance of cultural development in the growth of local economy and quality of life.
“As the summer tourism season kicks off, the Department of Tourism is excited to be able to offer the Public Art Tour App to visitors.” said Courtney Hansen, Director of Tourism for the City of Manitowoc. “Mural and public art walks have continued to be a trending activity to create memorable photo ops of their travel.”
The Rahr-West Public Arts Tour App was developed by Rahr-West Assistant Director Diana Bolander through the Stqry platform. Stqry (not a typo) works with organizations worldwide to share their stories and improve their visitor experiences. Visitors to the app will find multimedia background information on the artwork. The Public Arts Tour App is expected to be the first of many wayfinding and information tours created by the Rahr-West Art Museum, City of Manitowoc Department of Tourism, and Stqry.
“Over the past five years we’ve experienced an explosion of public art in Manitowoc,” said Greg Vadney, Executive Director of the Rahr-West Art Museum. “The Public Arts Tour App is a natural, next step to share more of our city’s culture.”
The Rahr-West Art Museum Public Arts Tour is both a tourism enhancement and a way for residents to learn more about their cultural community. The app is available via the web to allow for a variety of users to access the tour. Funding for the Tour was secured in 2021 by the City of Manitowoc’s Room Tax Commission and supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Art Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Each of the 31 stops will also soon feature a sign with a QR code so you can easily scan and begin the tour from a variety of locations in the downtown area. The Rahr-West Art Museum invites you to give the app a try at https://rahrwest.stqry.app/ and discover our unique and creative surroundings.