Rockford’s newest piece of public art arrived in the dark. It carries on a monster tradition

Adventure Kids builds on the Rockness Monster legacy

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, Brad Towell and a small team of artists waded into the Rock River to anchor down the city’s newest piece of public art.

They did it with no fan fare, no formal announcement and — in the spirit of another nearby piece of iconic art — no permission.

Towell’s fiberglass sculpture of a pair of kids canoeing on the Rock River gives the impression that they’re searching for the Rockness Monster, a decades-old evolving piece of artwork made from driftwood that’s been painted bright green to resemble a mythical figure. One of the kids on the canoe is peering through a handheld telescope toward the monster, which is just about 20 yards or so away.

“I love the spirit of making something that you don’t really tell anybody about and you just put it out there,” Towell said. “It’s not for sale. It’s not for any other reason other than bringing some joy and whimsy to our city.”

You can find both sculptures just off the east bank of the river near Chuck & Becky’s Bridge, which is along the Rock River Recreation Path about a block north of the Auburn Street bridge. Towell calls his creation the Adventure Kids.

The Rockness Monster is a tradition dating back to 1983, when Jim “Pickle” Anderson painted the first driftwood dragon, according to Steve Lucas, who is president of the Rock River Homeowners Association and part of the team that keeps up the tradition.

The monster is not permanent, sometimes washing away with rising river levels and being replaced when the time comes. Three generations of the Anderson family and numerous friends have carried on the creation of the monster.

Lucas said the Adventure Kids sculpture is a great contribution to the decades-long tradition of the Rockness Monster.

“It kind of blends in with the trees, so you have to know what you’re looking for, but when you see it, it’s a beautiful sight,” Lucas said. “Paying homage to the Rockness Monster that’s being going on for so long — the Forest City is just a beautiful place and it’s getting more beautiful by the day.”

Towell said he loved the idea of creating something that could interact with the monster as a way to say thank you for planting the seeds of inspiration.

“My hope is that it sparks whimsy, wonder and maybe even some humor in our everyday life. The Rockness Monster has done exactly that for 42 years now, which is pretty amazing for a piece of public art, especially one that needs people to literally wade out into the river to keep it going,” Towell said. “I’ve admired Nessie since I was a kid. I was 10 when it first appeared, and when I moved back to Rockford after 20 years away, I was so happy to see it was still out there.”

The 14-foot long Adventure Kids sculpture, which was created with an old handmade canoe as the base, is latched down with two boat anchors. Towell installed it with the help of two fellow artists: his wife, Stephanie, and Joshua Stoneberg. Videographer Pablo Korona captured the installation.

Towell was initially going to leave who created the piece a mystery, but he signed it after the urging from his wife.

“I also hope the Adventure Kids encourage people to give themselves permission to chase their own ideas. You don’t always need an invitation to bring a dream to life,” Towell said. “I’m glad Nessie didn’t wait for one before settling into the Rock River, and hopefully this project reminds others of that too.”

In case you’re wondering about their lack of permission, the group is unlikely to get in trouble for the installation, several public officials told the Rock River Current. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department patrols the river for safety violations, but this is tucked away behind some driftwood out of the boat path.

“I made sure it wasn’t impeding any traffic on the river or getting in the way in any way,” Towell said. “It seemed like it would just be adding to the environment there and not be a destructive piece of public art.”

The piece also has an endorsement from John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford, which is responsible for installing much of the public art sculptures you see across Rockford.

“What I appreciate about it most is that it’s not sanctioned, commissioned or funded by a public body, but that artistic creation and expression and installation is bubbling up all at the effort and creativity of local artists,” Groh said. “To see health within our arts community that is just happening is really cool.”

The stretch of riverfront is now a small public art hub with the monster, the Adventure Kids and the Inlet Markers, which are a pair of 12-foot tall totemic structures created by Robert McCauley.

“The Rockness Monster and Inlet Markers are iconic and intriguing in all their own ways. They must have had an impact on Brad to think about installing this piece there,” Groh said. “Art does speak to people and inspire people. When you see people taking creative forms of expression on their own accord that is pretty cool.”

This likely won’t be the last stop for the Adventure Kids. Towell isn’t sure the lifespan of the sculpture, but he expects it will need to be removed before the Rock River freezes over in winter. It could pop up in other locations around town, showing the kids on the move to other marquee locations.

“The most obvious and exciting place for it is where it’s at right now,” Towell said. “My bigger vision for this piece is to continue the adventure on.”

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