Beloit & Beyond Outdoor Art Trail

Beauty Through the Cracks Electrical Box Wrap

Valerie Cohs, a resin artist and special education teacher, owns the small business Runnin’ Resins. Her work incorporates crystals, pressed flowers, and earth tones to reflect the beauty of nature. She also shares her love of art by teaching resin and painting classes, including to individuals with special needs. This box can be found on the corner of State St and Shirland Ave near the "Welcome to Wisconsin" sign.

Colors Uncaged Electrical Box Wrap

Since moving to Beloit in 2020, Jonathan Lent has balanced work, parenting, and art-making. Originally from upstate New York, he spends his spare time creating art. This box can be found at Shirland Ave and Transit St.

Water Reflections Electrical Box Wrap

Based in Madison, WI, Kim Witte is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans fantasy paintings, acrylic fine art, and special effects makeup. Her creations fuse reality with illusion, incorporating themes of food, nature, and surrealism. Her work has been featured on Fake Up, George Takei Presents, and the Mortal Kombat Kollective. This box is located near the front entrance of ABC Supply Stadium.

American Echoes

Hear the Grind. The Grit. The clank and clang of machinery churing. Listen closely and hear the worker's voices adrift above the molten metal and shapes formed by pouring, forcing, pounding. Built with craftman's hands and American heart, each piece of this artwork echoes our hard working tradition. Created with Beloit Ironworks patterns, each shape celebrates our desire to build, to create and to provide. The carefully constructed, inlaid American flag mirrors the motion of magnificent machinery paying timeless tribute to those who serve our country and to our lost but not forgotten. Artist: Jim Spelman and the Jim Spelman Visuals Team

Audubon Mural

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The Audubon mural by artist Justin Suarez can be found on a shed at Nature at the Confluence. The mural features birds that have been identified by National Audubon's birds and climate change report.

Buccaneer Boathouse Murals

The Buccaneer Boathouse is a part of the Beloit College and it's where students and staff go to canoe or kayak! Look for public canoe and kayak events coordinated by the Welty Environmental Center that take place here throughout the warmer months as well.

Celebration

Commissioned by Warner Electric in 1977 to commemorate the company’s 50th year in business, “Celebration” first found its home in the center of the Warner Electric pond in Roscoe, Illinois, surrounded by a fountain of water. In 2003, Warner’s parent company, Colfax Corporation, donated this significant piece of public art to the Beloit 2000 group to include in its Heritage Art Program. As its fulfillment to that promise, Beloit 2000 has since gifted it to the City of Beloit. Weighing 15,000 pounds and standing 31 feet tall, this sculpture symbolizes a sport of motion, strength and direction – all qualities that reflect Warner Electric’s history and, now, the significance of manufacturing in the history of Greater Beloit. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Cor-Ten Steel Plate, 1977

Cheers

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The newest addition to Downtown Beloit can be found on the east side of 5BAR. The welcoming “cheers” mural created by local artist, Cheria Gillespie, is a toast to Wisconsin drinks including mocktails that can be found in this cozy "divebar-chic" establishment where all are welcome. Cheria can often be found in the bar painting her art live for all to watch.

Condor Two

Donated in 1987 to the Beloit Public Library by an anonymous Beloit citizen and the Ned Hollister Bird Club, “Condor Two” serves in loving memory of Carl Welty, a nationally known ornithologist, author and Beloit College department chair, who passed away in 1986. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Brass, 1987

Confluence

This sculpture was commissioned by the area’s bicentennial committee in honor of our country’s 200th birthday. It signifies the coming together of Turtle Creek and the Rock River through Greater Beloit. In addition, the piece reflects the confluence of two states, many diverse cultures, educations, agricultures and industries. “Things,” Shaffer explains, “really do come together in Beloit,” “Confluence” is located in front of the Hendricks Center for the Arts. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Brass, 1976

Flame

“Flame” is a piece commissioned by the graduating class of 1978 as a gift to Beloit Memorial High School. It is placed at the gymnasium entrance of the newly remodeled Beloit Memorial High School. The work greets all students, faculty and visitors who enter the facility. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Cor-Ten Steel Plate, 1978

Flight

“Flight” was cast at the old foundry at the Beloit Iron Works, later known as the Beloit Corporation. The piece was installed and dedicated in 1961 for the opening of Aldrich Junior High School. This facility, now home to Aldrich Middle School, was named after Alonzo Aldrich, a philanthropist and Beloit Iron Works president from 1885 to 1931. “Flight” symbolizes the freedoms enjoyed by junior high school children. The artist’s career also took flight after the construction of this piece, his first large-scale commission, which marked the beginning of a long career as a sculptor. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Cast Bronze, 1961

Garden Turtle

The Garden Turtle is located in the flower garden near the Rotary River Center. It was designed and created by Marina Lee, an accomplished and well-regarded Milwaukee artist. The turtle has been lovingly cared for by members of the Bloomin' Bunch for years and has been moved from different gardens near the Rotary River Center.

Gazebo for One Anarchist

Gift of the artist and the Lannan Foundation, which is a non-profit that collected and exhibited art on the occasion of Beloit’s College Sesquicentennial and in honor of Alan G Mcivor. Artist: Siah Armajani, Steel construction

Hometown Crowd

This piece was commissioned by the Beloit Youth Hockey Association and the Beloit Ski Club as a gift to the city in honor of the newly constructed Edwards Ice Arena. The representation of fans cheering in the stands, “Hometown Crowd” was installed and dedicated “to the spirit of winter sports” in November of 1985. This was the last hurrah for the Beloit Ski Club, paid for by the remaining funds in its account when the group decided to disband and dismantle the ski jump located in Big Hill Park. The dedication plaque reads as follows: “Dedicated to the spirit of winter sports, thru the generosity of the Beloit Youth Hockey Association and the Beloit Ski Club, Inc. Wednesday, November 13, 1985. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Stainless Steel, 1985

Images of Workers

Paintings located along the walls under the beautiful lights of Spine Rd. honoring the Blue-Collar workers of the former Beloit Corp. The historical photographs were livened up to assist in remembering all the great stories of so many Beloiters that called the facility home. The photos can be found along Spine Rd. and also at the end of Spine Rd. near the Rock River and American Echo art installation.

In Full Bloom Electrical Box Wrap

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Racine, Wisconsin-based artist Kelly Witte is a 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art (Magna Cum Laude) and a concentration in Interdisciplinary Art. Working primarily with painting and printmaking techniques, she creates bold pieces influenced by pop art, surrealism, and retro imagery. Since graduating, she has been very active in the Racine and Kenosha visual art scene. Kelly has participated in Downtown Racine Corporation's public art event every year since 2004, and in the last four years, she has completed five murals in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In February 2020, she was named a runnerup for the Racine Art Museum Emerging Artist Fellowship Award. In addition to exhibiting extensively in Southeastern Wisconsin, she has showcased her work nationally in Chicago, New York City, Indianapolis, Dallas, Washington D.C., and Oakland. Internationally, her exhibitions have spanned Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Kista, Sweden; Wroclaw, Poland; Venlo, The Netherlands; and Castlemaine, Australia. Her artwork has also been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, and The Columbia Chronicle. For more about Kelly and her work, visit her website at kelly.witteart.tumblr.com.

Ke-Chunk Ciporoke

Wisconsin Ho-Chunk artist Truman Lowe (1944-2019) created this sculpture to honor the Ho-Chunk people who once lived along Turtle Creek and Ke-Chunk village until 1832. Ke-Chunk ("kay-chunk") means "turtle", and Ciporoke ("chee-poe-doe-key") means "round dwelling" in the Ho-Chunk language. It is the type of home a family would have lived in, though often families lived together in a single, larger oblong dwelling. The structure would have been made of saplings and covered with reed or grass mats. Lowe's sculpture is an artist's interpretation, not an exact replica. "I am interested," he once said, "in finding that point in time when history stops and myth begins." Born and raisd on the Indian Mission in Black River Falls, WI, Lowe studied art at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, then taught sculpture at UW-Madison for 35 years. Lowe's art can be seen in the collections of many prominent museums, including the Denver Art Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis, IN). Ke-Chunk Ciporoke honors Ho-Chunk history, but as the work of a nationally-renowned sculptor, it also stands as a testament to the continuing vitality of the Ho-Chunk people.

Kelly Creek Mural

This Kelly Creek beautification project was painted by Tricia Davey with The Green Quarter landscaping in Rockton, IL and made possible by a grant from the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. The grant also funded a new section of trail along the creek, and three stone staircases that offer safe access to the water.

Ken Hendricks Statue

The statue on the east side of the Rock River overlooks the west side, where the Ironworks campus — a growing compendium of business and civic developments — forms a visible testament to the imagination of the late Ken Hendricks, along with his wife and business partner, Diane Hendricks. The Ironworks campus covers what had been the sprawling manufacturing complex for the Beloit Corporation, long Beloit’s largest employer with thousands of workers. But Ken Hendricks often saw opportunity where others saw calamity. He and his wife acquired the property and the result of that visionary experience continues to rise under the gaze of the new bronze statue. Ken Hendricks died Dec. 21, 2007 of injuries suffered in a fall. Diane Hendricks wants the statue to convey a sense of the kind of man Ken Hendricks was, seeing endless opportunities and value in people who have hope and are willing to work hard.

May Dance

"May Dance" created in 1985 by O.V Shaffer is a beautiful welded brass sheet. These dancers can be found dancing along the bank of the rock river at Visit Beloit

Midnight Lady Electrical Box Wrap

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This piece reflects Adam Nilson's Beloit roots with its vibrant colors and musical themes. While Adam created several commissioned works, this musician series was personal to him and was part of a three-piece exhibit in Waukesha, WI. The family owns this piece. Adam, a proud Beloit native and 1996 graduate of Beloit Memorial High School, passed away in March 2023. He was the owner of Nilson Studio and gained national recognition for his large-scale murals across Milwaukee and the Midwest, even appearing on HGTV. For more about Adam's impact and legacy, you can read the tribute on the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design's website. In addition to his artistic achievements, Adam was dedicated to giving back to the community, hosting an annual art supply drive for students at Merrill Elementary School. His legacy continues through this initiative, which has now helped students for more than 10 years. Though he envisioned a mural in Beloit, obstacles prevented it. While his artwork is now scattered across the Midwest, his 'Knights' mural at Beloit Memorial High School remains a testament to his talent.

Painted Wall

The vintage advertisement painting on La Casa Grande's side wall was first discovered in 2005 when restaurant owner Peter Gabriel was adding a banquet hall to the restaurant. When the siding was removed to display the exposed brick, the painting became apparent and Gabriel wanted to preserve the history of the art piece. The advertisement painting is estimated to range from 100 to 110 years old. A previous Beloit local and friend of Gabriel had been hired in the summer of 2020 to restore the painted mural. Artist Kathy Piccione conducted research and estimates that the wall has been painted over several times to display new ads. The image of Coca-Cola and Galvanic soap with additional lumber ad on top is thought to be the second layer that became more visible in sunlight. Piccione revamped the mural in 2020 by adding an advertisement that replaced the lumber ad to display Gabriel's business.

Poetry Garden

Siah Armajani, who was an Iranian-born American sculptor and architect known for his public art created one of the most useful works of art that were transported to Beloit College's campus. The Poetry Garden came to Beloit after the Lannon Foundation, a non-profit that collected and exhibited art changed its focus and started divesting its large art collection. The artist created the garden in 1992 for the foundation's Los Angeles headquarters. In 1997, when word got out that it was being dismantled and shipped to Beloit, the Los Angeles Times called it "one of the city's most beloved public artworks." The garden was renamed, then Armajani redesigned and expanded it to about four times its original size for the Beloit installation. Since it was christened in 1997 with an all-star poetry reading, the "Beloit Poetry Garden" has hosted countless events and continues to be a popular outdoor space for classes, impromptu dance rehearsals, and study sessions.

Putting Music in the Air Electrical Box Wrap

Greg LaMont is a self-taught artist with an eclectic body of work spanning wall art, illustrations, caricatures, and mechanical drawings. Based in the Stateline area, he has been exhibiting his work locally and regionally for years, bringing a wide range of creative expression to the community.

Reach

“Reach” is a commissioned piece that depicts an owl - the bird of knowledge - being raised up by the arms of a cloaked figure. Originally located in the courtyard of Beloit College’s Col. Robert H. Morse Library, “Reach” was intended to be viewed from the second and third floors. In 1991, the piece was relocated to a space at the center of campus (between Middle College and Smith Hall), and Shaffer was pleasantly surprised by how well the sculpture looks when viewed from ground level. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Brass, 1969

Saturday in the Park with Friends Electrical Box Wrap

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In 2006, Beloit-based photographer Mark Preuschl gathered a group of volunteers to recreate Georges Seurat's famous 1884 painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte," on the banks of the Rock River. Although it was a Saturday afternoon, the recreation's surprising accuracy has made it a viral sensation on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. The original source of the photograph can be found on Preuschl's Flickr page, where it is titled "Saturday in the Park with Friends." The recreation was organized by the local group Friends of Riverfront to promote an upcoming event in the park. In a 2020 interview with My Modern Met, Preuschl shared the challenges of capturing the perfect shot, noting, "The wind was still there, playing havoc with the two boats and umbrellas-inverting numerous umbrellas-while crashing the canoe and sailboat into rocky rip-rap along the shore."

Silversong

OV Shaffer's sculpture, Silversong, can be found near the entrance to Beloit Memorial Hospital.

Siren

This sculpture was commissioned for the residence of Arthur B. Adams. It depicts a siren, the mythological creature - half women and half bird - that sang from from a cliff to lure sailors in the story of Ulysses. In 2004 the piece was relocated through a gift by Vonnie Adams and Vonnie Adams and Susan Adams Paddock to the Beloit College campus west of the World Affairs Center. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Brass, 1987

SLU the Turtle

SLU the Turtle, was designed and created in 2002 by Marina Lee, an accomplished and well-regarded Milwaukee artist. The initial funding for SLU was provided by the Society for Learning Unlimited. That is where SLU gets her name. Every few years, Marina visits SLU and gives her a makeover. SLU keeps watch over Turtle Island.

Source

Commissioned by Arthur B. Adams, “Source” originally was created on a small scale for lapel pins to honor individuals who had contributed to the improvement of the community. It represents Beloit’s longtime symbol, the turtle. Shaffer transformed the design into a large sculpture in 1991 for Arthur B. Adams’ home. In 1996, it was moved to the entrance of the Rotary River Center in Riverside Park and rededicated to the community as a gift from the Col. Robert H. Morse Foundation. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Gold-Leafed Welded Steel, 1991

South Beloit City Park Mural

The “Kindergarten” building near the tennis courts in the South Beloit City Park has been turned into a colorful collection of animals, including a duck, a rabbit and a snake. Students from South Beloit High School volunteered their time and artistic talents to bring more color to the park along side of David Eckburg, who has been teaching art at South Beloit High School for 30 years. This mural was started in the summer of 2024 after David was approached by Ken and Cindy Morse about a possible project in the park. Ken Morse serves on the South Beloit City Council and Cindy serves on the South Beloit Parks and Recreation Committee.

Star Flower Electrical Box Wrap

Rockton, IL native Katherine Cook, now based in Madison, WI, creates detail-oriented pieces inspired by nature, stained glass patterns, graffiti, and optical illusions. Her art journey began in 2014 and she now produces commissioned works, participates in art shows, and sells prints and merchandise.

Sunflowers

A gorgeous spectacle of sunflowers painted on the exterior of Rockton Food and Spirits created by Rockford artist Lisa Frost.

Super-Hero Turtle

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"Super-Hero Turtle" by Lynda Wallis adorns the exterior walls at the Beloit Art Center displaying the image of a turtle with the symbol from Beloit’s city flag on its shell.

Synchrony

This mural celebrates the mighty pelican on its migrational path through our native wetland prairies. The way they fish together is perfectly synchronous, much like the nature surrounding all of us. 29 different wildlife species span across this wall, all of which can be found near throughout the year. Created by Dustin Eckhardt.

The Landing

“The Landing” was commissioned in 2003 to honor Alonzo Aldrich and the founding and sustaining role he and his descendants played for more than a century at the Beloit Iron Works, later known as the Beloit Corporation. “The Landing” rises 60 feet against the backdrop of a renewed Iron Works. The piece was unveiled on May 22, 2004. The dedication plaque reads as follows: This sculpture and park are dedicated to all who worked with the Aldrich family and their descendants to build the world’s leading paper, tissue and boardmaking machinery company. With appreciation from Ebbie and Peggy Neese and the Neese family foundation. Supported with generous gifts from Ken and Diane Hendricks and Hendricks Development Company. (O.V. Shaffer Book) - Artist - O.V. Shaffer - Welded Stainless Steel, 2004

The Market Electrical Box Wrap

A self-taught artist from Rockford, IL, Holly Fuca works primarily in acrylic and mixed media, often using recycled materials to make her art more sustainable and accessible. Her contemporary style blends abstract, pop, and expressionism influences, drawing inspiration from movies, music, literature, nature and people.

The Workers

Beloit made the machinery that makes the paper. Paper machinery converts pulp into rolls of thin sheets of paper at an extremely high speed. The machines are large and complex and are often longer than a football field. Foundry men, engineers, office workers and machinsts, sales personnel, factory workers, computer experts and erectors, all contributed to the success and reputation of the Beloit Iron Works (Beloit Corporation). Through innovation and advanced design Beloit employees built the company into a world leader in the paper industry expanding from the United States into Japan, Italy, England, Canada, Brazil, and Poland. The machinery that Beloit made for more than 150 years still produces tons of paper which we use every day. Artist: O.V. Shaffer

Turtle Electrical Box Wrap

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This wrap was designed by Alison Packard who was Beloit born and raised. She currently is a Health and Physical Education teacher at Beloit Memorial High School and art has always been a hobby of hers for as long as she can remember. She loves trying all kinds of arts and crafts but particularly enjoys drawing and painting. When she saw the contest for the electrical boxes, she knew she wanted to create something that resembled Beloit. Alison ended up with several ideas and possible landmarks that came to mind when thinking about Beloit. She couldn't decide on just one so she started to think about how she could combine multiple landmarks in the same art piece. One of the things she kept thinking when she thought about Beloit was a turtle. There is Turtle Creek, the former Snapper baseball team now known as the Sky Carp, Turtle Island, the Indian mound that resembles a turtle behind the Wright Museum of Art and a turtle is commonly thought of as the unofficial mascot of Beloit College. Then the idea of combining multiple Beloit landmarks in the shape of a turtle shell came to her. She chose to paint what resembled Beloit landmarks such as the Water Tower, the lagoon, Beckman Mill, buildings in downtown Beloit, the train bridge, and the Ken Hendrick's bridge that go over the Rock River.

Turtle Geoglyph

The Turtle Geoglyph sits adjacent to the walking trail on the east side of the lagoon located in Riverside Park. The Turtle Geoglyph is composed of a stone and tile design. Geoglyphs are landforms created to be fully visualized from a higher elevation. The Turtle Geoglyph references Beloit's Turtle Mound heritage. Significant parts of the design are beautiful tiles designed and made during the 2002-2003 school year by all fifth-grade students in the Beloit Public School District under the direction of Marina Lee, an accomplished and well-regarded Milwaukee artist. It was installed in the spring of 2003 thanks to funding from the Eldred family. Pieces of the geoglyph were updated and replaced in the summer of 2015.

White Memorial Cross

This non-traditional cross on the exterior facade of Second Congregational Church depicts a descending dove. It was created as a memorial to the life of Sherman White, father of Gerald White. Shaffer designed the piece so that it would be a subtle complement to the building’s exterior. (O.V. Shaffer Book). Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Cor-Ten Steel Plate, 1975

Whooping Crane Mural

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A mural created by artist Brett Whitacre, featuring a whooping crane on the Abbey Roads building next to City Hall. This mural was painted in July of 2025. The mural was created thanks to the efforts of the Sinnissippi Audubon Society, Nature at the Confluence, and the City of Beloit. The mural depicts an endangered bird and it also beautifies the city.

Wild Face Electrical Box Wrap

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Artist/Designer/Teacher Kelly Hausknecht, born in Milwaukee, is a local Rock County resident and teacher, who graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BFA degree and teaching certification. She currently teaches every subject, every grade level, in various communities. While Kelly's passion is art, freeing her spirit with whimsical subjects through painting, she also loves challenges in illustration, interior design, and tutoring. She enjoys personal student connections focusing on various individual interests and teaching new techniques while building confidence and self-esteem. The design for "Wild Face" was created via computer with a mouse and Paint 3D as an energetic release of creativity during long hours of business-related emails. Her fast imaginative spontaneous portraits are more about sharing her feelings, than any particular person.

Winds of Change

This piece memorializes the life of Katherine Ann Marburg, the daughter of Beloit College President and Mrs. Donald Marburg. At the time of her death in 1969, Katherine was a senior at Beloit College. The sculpture is located between the Logan and Wright Museums, places where Katherine most loved to spend her time. “Winds of Change” was a very personal piece for Shaffer, as he was a friend of the Marburg family. (O.V. Shaffer Book) Artist: O.V. Shaffer, Welded Brass, 1971

Wood Family Walking Bridge Train Replica

On August 8, 1944, Fairbanks Morse & Company, located in Beloit, Wisconsin, shipped its first newly designed diesel-electric locomotive, designated as "Milwaukee Road 1802," to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. This is a scaled replica of the original locomotive which was powered by a Fairbanks Morse Opposed Piston engine. In the early-1930's, the design and manufacture of the Opposed Piston engine was a major milestone which involved many dedicated engineers and other employees. Heinrich Schneider, Percy C. Brooks, Fritz P. Grutzner, and L.B. Jackson were key contributors to that design effort. During the peak production years of World War II (1941 to 1945), Fairbanks Morse employed as many as 7,000 men and women. The company continues to be a key industrial manufacturer in the City of Beloit. This locomotive replica honors the contributions of the 19th and 20th century workers and the industrial heritage of the City of Beloit, Wisconsin. Artist: Siah Armajani, May 4th, 1997.

Beloit & Beyond Outdoor Art Trail

Expiration: Dec 31st 2025

Included Venues