STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — The City of Stevens Point has put out yet another call for artists to get creative while filling the city’s outdoor sculpture park.
The city has opened the proposal process on its website, and this year it comes with a new twist. Mayor Mike Wiza says a tree near the park was infested with the Emerald Ash Borer, but instead of chopping the whole thing down, they decided to make it a part of the park.
“Rather than cut down the tree and destroy it, we topped it off,” said Wiza. “We got rid of the infestation and now we have a 30-foot trunk that we would love to see someone turn into a piece of art.”
Wiza says there’s no limit to the definition of “piece of art.” They’d love to see it become part of a larger sculpture, turned into a wood carving, or some kind of hybrid of both. Wiza suggested a few ideas during this week’s Mayors Monday interview including a wood carving of either a Space-X Falcon 9 rocket or a Point Bock beer bottle. WSAU’s Mike Leischner suggested the hybrid route, with a sculpture of a UFO at the top of the trunk and a carving of an upside-down cow in the tree to create an “alien abduction” art.
Anyone else with ideas and the means to create the artwork can submit their requests to the city through stevenspoint.com. Wiza says the forms are available by searching for “sculpture park submissions.” The city has also shared information about how to submit ideas through various social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram. Should all of those methods fail, Wiza says more information can also be obtained by calling his office directly.
Pieces on display in the Sculpture Park typically rotate every few years. “We try to mix it up a little bit. Some pieces stay on for longer than three years, some pieces [only stay] for three years.
“[That way] there’s always something new at the Sculpture Park,” added Wiza.
Applications are due by May 21st. Selected pieces will be installed in August of this year, and tentatively displayed through August 2024.
Other Topics Wiza and Leischner discussed this week include:
Start of video- Street construction projects in Stevens Point
10:30- Sculpture Park submissions
14:00- Polka on ice
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