New Rockford Public Art Trail rewards you for visiting murals, sculptures and more

July 19, 2023|By Kevin Haas|In 815 News, Rockford, Trending, Arts & Culture
The Better Together mural, 810 State St., by OhYa Studios is part of the new Rockford Public Art Trail. It was painted in summer 2023. (Photo by Mindy Joy Photography/Provided by Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new program run through your mobile phone rewards you for exploring as many of the city’s murals and public art pieces as possible.

The Rockford Public Art Trail aims to bring awareness and spur visitation to the city’s public art scene. The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced on Wednesday the new trail and the mobile-friendly “passport” that allows you to access an online directory and use geo-location services to find public art near you.

“Rockford has both a high quality and quantity of public art and we want to showcase that to potential visitors and our residents” said John Groh, president and CEO of the visitors bureau. “The new Rockford Public Art Trail will help RACVB celebrate and promote public art to visitors and also make it more accessible and easier to find and enjoy for our residents.”

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You can download the free mobile passport, which functions similarly to a smartphone app, at RockfordPublicArt.com. There are 84 different murals, sculptures and public art pieces that you can check-in at for the chance to earn prizes. Users can also access artist information and history of the project.

Symbol, the 47-foot tall sculpture by Alexander Liberman, is one of the check-in spots on the new Rockford Public Art Trail. (Photo provided by Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)

Each check-in earns points that you can redeem for prizes. Five check-ins are needed to be eligible to win a prize, or you can accumulate more points to go toward a larger prize.

There will also be a $250 Visa gift card awarded via a drawing on Aug. 1. All users with five or more check-ins will be automatically entered.

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The visitors bureau has helped bolster the city’s public art scene, most notably with the launch of the CRE8IV: transformational art initiative in 2019. That program has commissioned more than 40 large-scale murals in Winnebago County.

“Adding public art to public spaces enhances our neighborhoods and brings vibrancy to our community, which is good for residents and makes our community more appealing to potential visitors,” Groh said.

AJ Davis painted this mural in summer 2023 at Veterans Memorial Circle at 1436 N. Main St. in Rockford. It is part of a new Rockford Public Art Trail. (Photo by Ryan Davis Photography/Provided by Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas