We're Livin' It Up and Celebrating 10 Years of Public Art in Downtown Racine!

Downtown Racine is celebrating 10 years of public art in 2011.   Past displays have featured dogs, cats, bears, fish, otters, birds and birdbaths, lighthouses, Adirondack chairs, spheres and clocks.

Click here to see photos of the flowerpots from Downtown Racine's 2011 Public Art Event, POTSARAZZI!

Where in the world are Downtown Racine's public art pieces today?

As part of Downtown's 10-years of public art celebration, the Downtown Racine Corporation wants to know:  “Where in the World is Racine’s Public Art?”   

Please send or e-mail us a photo of the art piece(s) you purchased and tell us where it is now.  All of the pictures we receive will be displayed in the DRC office.   The public and our artists will be delighted to see where these beautiful art pieces are today.

Please e-mail your photo(s) and/or your piece location to tleopold@racinedowntown.com or mail them to Downtown Racine Corporation, 425 Main Street, Racine, Wisconsin 53403.We thank you for supporting Downtown Racine.  Public art put us on the map and you have kept us in the forefront.  Come to Downtown Racine this summer and be part of our 2011 celebration! Click here to see where some of the art pieces are today.

2011 -- POTSARAZZI!

2010 -- Hour Town

2009 -- Sunny & Chair...Summer '09 Tour!

2008 Public Art Event--Sphere Madness

2007 Public Art Event -- Lighten Up! in Downtown Racine

2006 Public Art Event -- Bird is the Word

The History of Public Art in Downtown Racine

Dogs in 2002. Cats in 2003. Bears in 2004. Fish and otters in 2005. Birds and birdbaths in 2006.  Lighthouses in 2007. Spheres in 2008. And, Adirondack Chairs in 2009. All of these public-art subjects have helped in the renaissance of Downtown Racine.

Public art has played a huge role in the renaissance of Downtown Racine.  When public art was identified as an avenue for enhanced Downtown activity, parameters for the artwork were established and have been followed every year. The artwork had to be aesthetically pleasing. It had to endure inclement weather. It could carry no advertising. It had to be family-friendly, and enticing and interesting to both children and adults. It had to be sized so it could be brought indoors at night, then easily put outdoors during the day when stores were open. And it had to appeal to those who would sponsor each figure.

Downtown Racine Corporation (DRC), an organization comprised of Downtown businesses and individuals committed to the city’s downtown, brought public art to the streets in 2002, with Dog Days of Summer. Standing and sitting fiberglass Labradors were created by artists, most of them from the Greater Racine area. Individuals and groups transformed 149 dogs who were displayed on Downtown sidewalks from May through September.

Some artists worked individually, others in groups – such as school children. Artist ages ranged from 9 through 70+. When the dogs were sold at auction in October, the proceeds they brought were used to further Downtown Racine activities and to support Racine Art Museum, at that time working on construction of its new museum in the heart of Downtown.

With the huge success of Dog Days of Summer, it was natural that cats would follow. The summer of 2003 saw Cat’n Around Downtown, with 151 lively cats drawing visitors from the entire Midwest and some as far distant as California and Texas. Benefits from that year’s auction supported Downtown Racine Corporation and Racine Heritage Museum, also located in Downtown Racine.

In 2004, Downtown Bears It All was the theme for the 154 bears (including 10 cubs done by young children), telling visitors that Downtown was open, accessible and ready for the thousands who flocked to see the critters.  That year the auction’s proceeds were used to advance DRC’s ongoing Downtown projects.

Because DRC wanted to be at the forefront of the critters being used for public art, 2005 presented a new challenge – what form to use for the art. The final selection – fish and otters – fit perfectly with Downtown Racine’s lakeside location, and Downtown Summer Splash and its 99 critters frolicked through the summer of 2005. At season end, auction proceeds were designated to be used for future DRC activities.

The next year (2006) brought a new twist to public art in Downtown Racine.  Bird is the Word brought 75 distinctively designed birds and decorated bird baths to the storefronts throughout the Downtown neighborhood.  The event featured solar-paneled fountain bird baths and one-of-a-kind birds created from “found art” such as bowling pins, old bicycle parts and garden tools.

What about the future? Time marches on and public art will continue in Downtown Racine. It has proven to be a real attraction for visitors and shoppers. It has helped further Downtown Racine as a growing art center and it has created a stronger sense of community.