Inland Art | Walk of art - The Community Word

Natural Wonders by Michele Moushey Dale of Edgerton, WI, is one of the creations on the current Sculpture Walk. (PHOTO BY NICHOLE GRONVOLD-ROLLER)

NICHOLE GRONVOLD ROLLER

If you search for what to do in Peoria on TripAdvisor, the Sculpture Walk Peoria is No. 10 on the list. Typically when I travel to a new place, I use this website to check out areas of interest, but I have never used it locally until now.

I have driven by and visited the Sculpture Walk many times but only recently took advantage of the free docent-guided tours held every Saturday (until Labor Day) at 10:30 am starting at the Peoria Art Guild (203 Harrison St.).

My experience:

Signing up for the tour was easy — I just clicked on the link listed on the Peoria Art Guild site https://swpdocenttour.as.me/schedule.php and reserved a spot a few days before the tour. Pre-registration is not required but preferred. A couple of friends joined me, and we checked in at the gallery’s lobby prior to the departure time. We arrived a little early, so while waiting for others to come, we viewed the galleries and gift shop.

Our group was a nice size, seven in total. We were directed and led by local artist John Heintzman during the walk. The weather was perfect — probably one of the mildest Saturdays this summer. The tour is listed online to last up to one hour and thirty minutes, and ours was slightly over an hour. I am sure the amount of time for each walk depends on the group size and how many questions are being asked.

Our excursion started with the sculpture Coming Through by Zan Knecht of Grand Rapids, Mich., which is assembled out of recycled corten steel, also known as weathering steel for its rust-like appearance that changes over time with exposure to weather. Stopping at each sculpture, Heintzman gave a background about the artist, intention, and materials. We were also informed about how the art was selected for the Sculpture Walk.

The competition is an open call, and sculptures must be available from May 2022 through March 2024. Completed examples of artwork (maquettes not accepted) were selected by a group of approximately seven jurors connected to art and the community. The juried, outdoor exhibit is a biennial show with a new panel of judges for each exhibition. The online application states that “submissions will be evaluated on artistic merit, creativity, public safety, appropriateness, and durability in the outdoors.” Heintzman commented that approximately 340 entries were submitted, and eight sculptures were selected.

A lot of behind-the-scenes activities happen to make the Sculpture Walk Peoria a success. Artists deliver their work and remove it with assistance, if needed, by a group of volunteers — a boom truck is available without a fee. There are requirements for the artists to comply with once their work is chosen, one of which is that all sculptures must be for sale. A stipend is provided to assist the artists with delivery costs funded by donors: https://www.peoriaartguild.org/swp.

The sculptures are displayed on both sides of Washington Street, from the Peoria Riverfront Museum to the Bob Michel Bridge. A range of styles, materials, and construction provides an exciting dialogue as you move from one work to another. Our tour group had varying views and comments about being more interested in some pieces than others. I enjoyed listening to the discussions and added my insights too.

Public art enhances the aesthetic quality of our communities, cultivating pride and belonging while provoking discussion and curiosity. It is easy to overlook the richness of the places we live as we become complacent. I am pleased I took the time to appreciate the artworks at the Sculpture Walk Peoria and plan to continue to seek out more art venues so close to home.

If you are interested in viewing the Sculpture Walk Peoria, but unable to sign up for the docent tour, you may take a self-guided tour using the “Otocast” app. You can hear the artists talk about their art, and the self-guided tour is also a nice feature to listen to before or after the docent tour.