2015 Day Trip: Public Art along the Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, Illinois.

July 12, 2015: Day Trip to Rockford, IL.

In fact, the only thing I wanted to see in Rockford, was the Public Art along the Rock River Recreation Path. It’s a small stretch of land between the Rock River and N 2nd Street. It includes the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens, and just across the N 2nd Street, the Sinnissippi Park. I was aware of only a few sculptures along this path, but could see a lot more. In fact, Rockford Park District is developing this area as a major attraction with Bike Path, Public Art and Conservatory. A very short, two-hours trip, and I loved it! here are some sculptures I saw..

Public Art along the Rock River Recreation Path
Symbol – by Alexander Liberman
Flame – by Leonard Nierman
Inlet markers – by Robert McCuley
Sinnissippin Crab – by Gene Horvath
Dancers – by O.V.Shaffer
Sight Seeing – by J. Seward Johnson
Wild Flower – by Jerry Peart
Coneflower – by Joe Mongan
Anemotive Kinetic – by Robert Mangold
Rock Men Guardians – by Terese Agnew
The Sinnissippi Guardian – by Terry Karpowicz

Art inside the Nicholas Conservatory
River Within – by Linda Beaumont
Rock River Influences – by William Hueg
Generale – by Silvio Vigiaturo
Caras – by Juan Pipolles
King and Queen – by Christoph Kiefhaber

Symbol – by Alexander Liberman

Symbol – by Alexander Liberman
Steel / 47′ high/ 30-tons
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

This piece, created for the City of Rockford, was originally erected at the intersection of State and Wyman Streets to much negativity and controversy. When the intersection was re-opened to traffic in 1984, the sculpture was disassembled and left to rust for six months until it was reassembled at its current location and placed in October, 1984 amid significant community-wide controversy. As time has passed, Symbol has become a source of pride and graces the cover of many publications welcoming people to our community.

Liberman’s colossally scaled compositions are constructed from discarded tank drums, boiler heads, giant pipes, and steel beams. They are cut and sliced to evoke baroque sculpture and architectural models, from grain silos to Greek temples and medieval cathedrals. Liberman said at the sculpture’s dedication, “To me, it symbolizes an uplifting spiritual feeling, and I hope a sense of exhilaration and of stimulation.“ He also commented on the actual act of building: “The engineers said this was the most difficult engineering project they ever had to face. That’s because there are so many point contacts in it with one-inch steel.

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Flame – by Leonard Nierman

Flame – by Leonard Nierman
Stainless steel / 23′ tall and 9’ wide / sculpture weighs 5,200 lbs.
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

“Flame” was a new work, donated by the artist to the Government of Mexico, which in turn donated it to the City of Rockford. A leader in modern Mexican art, Leonardo Nierman’s art can be found in more collections than any other living artist. Such collections include New York’s Lincoln Center, the Vatican Museum Collection, Museum of Modern Art (Mexico), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC), and the Organization of American States.

Inlet markers – by Robert McCuley

Inlet markers – by Robert McCuley
Bronze figures of sturgeons and deer head.
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

Rockford artist Bob McCauley was commissioned by the Arts in Park Committee in 1991 to create this piece. Bob remarked his artwork “has everything to do with the particular location. Wherever there’s a confluence of streams, nature’s more bountiful, you see more resources. It’s a reminder there’s something out there worth saving.”

Sinnissippin Crab – by Gene Horvath

Sinnissippin Crab – by Gene Horvath
Corten Steel / 3,000 lbs, 24′ long.
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL

Rockford resident Gene Horvath created this piece for its present location along the Rock River Recreation Path at his own expense. Horvath’s works grace many public spaces throughout Rockford; this was the first public sculpture placed along the Rec Path. The Sinnissippi Crab consists of steel cubes and rectangles, joined to suggest how the river flows and turns. Designed as a “systems” sculpture, meaning the sections can be seen as imitating each other partly, and can be put together into a meaningful unit. Horvath named it “Sinnissippi Crab” to give some “representational context to basically an abstract sculpture.”

Dancers – by O.V.Shaffer

Dancers – by O.V.Shaffer
Brass-plated sculpture / 7′ x 12′ x 8′
Location: Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
at Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

A Wisconsin native, Shaffer enjoys working with organic shapes. When creating Dancers he envisioned a piece that would sit above people’s shoulders and would be evident to drivers passing by. The piece was commissioned by Cherryvale Mall developer Charlie Barnes and installed in 1973 in front of Marshall Fields. In 2011, it was donated by CBL Properties/Cherryvale Mall to the
Rockford Park District to be placed at the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens.

Sight Seeing – by J. Seward Johnson

Sight Seeing – by J. Seward Johnson
Bronze statue in human scale
Location: Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL

More than 200 of Johnson’s life-sized cast bronze figures have been installed in private collections in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia; commissioned by Arts in the Park committee. Fooling everyone by snapping a photo, this life-size to scale piece was originally installed on the Library Esplanade along the Rock River. The piece was moved to Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens
in 2012.

Wild Flower – by Jerry Peart

Wild Flower – by Jerry Peart
Painted aluminum
Location: Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

Jerry Peart works with metal sculptures in both large and small scale. Since the early 1970s he has created over 35 large creations, including Sculpture for a New Era in the Chicago Federal Plaza. Jerry was inspired by the concept of the tropical conservatory thriving in the Midwest, and created Wild Flower to grace the entry of the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens.

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Coneflower – by Joe Mongan

Coneflower – by Joe Mongan
Location: Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL

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Anemotive Kinetic – by Robert Mangold

Anemotive Kinetic – by Robert Mangold
Stainless steel sphere and pole / 13′ x 82″ x 82
Location: Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL

Donated by Tom and Darlene Furst to the Rockford Park District to be placed at Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. Anemotive Kinetic welcomes guests to the convergence of the River, the recreation path, and Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens. Mangold’s art is about motion in the most fundamental way — everything in, on, and of our universe is in motion.

Suspended Motion – by Gene Horvath

Suspended Motion – by Gene Horvath
Stainless Steel / 16′ high, 8′ x 13 ‘ at base. / 5, 200 lbs.
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

Commissioned by Bengt and Mary Kuller in 1986 for the Baldwin Enkel Corporation to celebrate the firm’s tenth anniversary; designed to resemble industrial parts manufactured at the plant. Moved from Baldwin in 2004, and again to its current site in 2012; the massive steel columns welcome guests to the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens.

Rock Men Guardians – by Terese Agnew

Rock Men Guardians – by Terese Agnew
Fieldstone and Red Granite
Installed: 1987-1988
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

Donated by John and Linda Anderson and the Art in the Parks Committee, these pieces are sometimes referred to as vikings, gladiators, or Transformers! Each three-ton guardian “came to life” following careful placement of 40- to 100-pound boulders by the artist and her helpers. Community volunteers came forward to assist Milwaukee artist Terese Agnew to construct two Rock Men in May of 1987 and the final two in October of 1988.

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The Sinnissippi Guardian – by Terry Karpowicz

The Sinnissippi Guardian – by Terry Karpowicz
Powder coated and coiled steel / 140 x 36 x 50″ / 1,000–1,200 lbs.
A gift by the citizens of the Rockford Park District to celebrate its 100th year: 2009
Location: Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, IL.

Dedicated to the community in 2009, the Sinnissippi Guardian stands in celebration of the Rockford Park District’s centennial celebration. The piece is installed on concrete base which extends 30″ above the ground and is stained with patina material. The artist is especially drawn to the interactions of wind, water, sunlight, and gravity on natural materials.

Art Inside the Nicholas Conservatory

Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens / Snnissippi Gardens, Rockford.

Art inside the Nicholas Conservatory

Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens is the third largest conservatory in the state of Illinois.
The 11,000 sq ft glass house reaches 52′ at its highest point and features tropical plants from around the world.

River Within – by Linda Beaumont
Rock River Influences – by William Hueg
Generale – by Silvio Vigiaturo
Caras – by Juan Pipolles
King and Queen – by Christoph Kiefhaber

Main Lobby / Snnissippi Gardens, Rockford.

River Within – by Linda Beaumont / Main Lobby

Terrazzo mosaic; Inspired by the Rock River, the terrazzo artwork depicts the system of rivers that join together throughout the State of Illinois. The artist sees rivers as metaphors for transformation which inspired her work. The shimmer and movement of the work is enhanced by the artist’s use of iridescent glass, mirror chips, glitters, glass cane, beads, shells, and shards of colored glass all swirled together creating the gentle movement of water.

Rock River Influences – by William Hueg / Main Lobby

Painted mural; As the title suggests, the mural was created to illustrate how the Rock River was a major influence in forming the area known as Rockford, Illinois; from the past, present and continuing into the future.

Generale – by Silvio Vigiaturo

Murano glass; Vigliaturo was born in Calabria, Italy. In 2006, his work was chosen to represent Turin at the XX Olympic Winter Games. Each winning athlete and distinguished guest was given a work made specifically for the Olympics. Gererale has been strategically placed to greet guests as they enter the exhibition area and keep close watch over them while they tour the Conservatory. Watch as the totem’s vibrant colors reflect like diamonds across the water.

Caras – by Juan Pipolles

Murano glass; Ripollés totem style typically features oversized heads with miniscule bodies. Ripollés emphasizes their heads to point out the four out of five senses located there: hearing, smell, taste, and sight. The head is the focal point and the rest of the body completes the figure. Caras is placed near the children’s play area in the exhibition area of Nicholas Conservatory to create a sense of creative whimsy amongst the greenery.

King and Queen – by Christoph Kiefhaber

Murano glass; Austrian artist Kiefhaber works vary from paintings, engravings, sculpture, and glass. The King and Queen majestically overlook the interior of the exhibition area of the Conservatory and keep close watch over their kingdom connected by the infinity pool to the lagoon.

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2015 Day Trip: Public Art along the Rock River Recreation Path, Rockford, Illinois.

Written by Jyoti Srivastava

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