Public Art

PUBLIC ART

ArtStart champions public art as a way to connect people, spark dialogue, and strengthen a sense of place through collaboration.

The Iron Hodag Art Project

ArtStart will unveil the Iron Hodag, a new public art sculpture honoring Rhinelander's legendary symbol, at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 10, in the pocket park on Brown Street, across from Mel's. The community is invited to attend this special unveiling celebrating public art in the heart of downtown Rhinelander.
The Iron Hodag was commissioned by former Rhinelander residents Ron and Elise Gaber, who have lived in Kirksville, Missouri, for 50 years but have stayed deeply connected to their hometown roots often commenting "Once a Hodag, always a Hodag."
The sculpture was created by Wisconsin artist Don Gaber, known for his large-scale works built from reclaimed metal. Gaber's pieces incorporate discarded, donated, scavenged and vintage materials, transforming them into artworks that reflect the history and character of the communities where they're made.
"So much of the metal in this sculpture has a Rhinelander story behind it. That's what makes public art like this so powerful - it's made of us." said Traci Stinebrink, ArtStart’s Communication Director.
Families are encouraged to bring their kids to the unveiling as there will be a special handout available for children to search for all of the incredible individual pieces that come together to form the Hodag.
IRON HODAG UNVEILING
Push Against Loneliness // Hodag Park

TOGETHER 

Artists: Witt Siasoco & Norma Dycus Pennycuff 

TOGETHER is a place for gathering, contemplation, remembrance, and conversation. The artwork was created in response to the recent tragic losses of young people and adults in the Rhinelander area to suicide. Over the period of a year, the artists asked groups of high school students and other community members “What would you say to someone that you have lost connection to?” The audio responses are accessed through embedded plates using bone conduction, an isolated sound experience through touch.

TOGETHER was created as a part of the Arts For Everybody initiative, a larger national project through One Nation One Project, a national arts and health initiative between Artists, Local Governments, and Community Health Providers designed to activate the power of the arts to heal our communities. TOGETHER is a collaboration between Norma Dycus Pennycuff (Eagle River, WI) and Witt Siasoco (Minneapolis, MN).

Experience TOGETHER at Hodag Park, Rhinelander, WI.

Listener sitting on art piece bench.
Listening to the voices through the bone conduction sound system.

Rhinelander Public Art Commission

Founded in October 2021, the Rhinelander Public Art Commission (RPAC) has been formed to facilitate, direct, advise, and manage public art in the City as defined in the Rhinelander City Ordinance 2.01.166. Use the following links to submit a public art project application.  Please review the Submission requirements to ensure that you have completed these requirements.

RPAC Application
RPAC Application Submission Requirements