Trash canvas
Downtown Stevens Point
This annual placemaking project invites artists of all skill levels to make their creative mark on downtown. Calls open each spring for new designs and fresh paint on all of our downtown bins. Once completed, the community gets to vote on their favorite pieces and prizes are awarded to local creators. 2024 Applications must be submitted by email or dropped off at The IDEA Center (1039B Ellis St.) by 5:00PM on April 26th.
DOWNTOWN MURALS
STEVENS POINT BREWERY 160TH ANNIVERSARY MURAL
NICK GOETTLING, ARTIST + THOUSAND LUMENS PRODUCTION, VIDEO
THE FOXES
ALEXANDER LANDERMAN, ARTIST + CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY - JOHN HARTMAN, PHOTOS
The Sustainers
Mark Fischer (Oneida)
Mark Fischer’s sculpture, depicting Indigenous culture at Lake Emily Park. “The Sustainers” sculpture is a celebration of Native artists and Native peoples, who are still connected to this place. The sculpture represents the "Three Sisters" of corn, beans and squash, which are always grown together in Indigenous agricultural techniques, and are an important part of Oneida culture.
This project was funded through CREATE Portage County in partnership with the Portage County Parks Commission. It's supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Wisconsin Arts Board. Renowned Oneida beadwork artist Karen Ann Hoffman, who lives in the area, also had worked to make the project happen.
SCULPTURE QUEST & DOWNPOUR
VARIOUS ARTISTS + MANUEL (NICK) SILVA, PHOTOS
A first-of-its-kind geocache artventure, Sculpture Quest encourages trekkers of all ages and abilities to search for small iron sculptures hidden in nature areas across Portage County! Use the coordinates below to find the art. Then post pictures of your discoveries to instagram using #pocosculpturequest! Enjoy the blend of art, innovation, and environmentalism that makes Portage County so distinct!
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF…
CREATE supports other creative placemaking projects that add vibrancy to Portage County. Learn about a few wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if projects we’ve been thinking up. We’d love to receive bids from interested activators that move these beyond ideas. Feel free to submit other concepts that foster stronger connections to special places here.
PLACEMAKING INCUBATOR
Have your own idea for a placemaking initiative or public art installation? Connect with CREATE and we'll help you get it off the ground.