ANTIGO, Wis. — Downtown Antigo is getting a little more colorful thanks to a collaboration between Antigo Visual Arts (AVA) and the City of Antigo Street Department.
Three more banners are now displayed on City of Antigo street poles along the 700 block of 5th Avenue, adding original artwork and a personal touch to the downtown landscape. The large banners, measuring approximately 60 x 30 inches, were painted by three AVA artists who volunteered their time, talent and paint to help beautify the community.
The project began earlier this summer when banners were installed along the 900 block of 5th Avenue. As the summer continued, more artists took on the challenge of creating additional large-scale paintings for the City’s street poles.
The three newest banners feature the work of AVA artists Vicki Eldridge, Beatie Gmeiner, and Pat Packard.
Eldridge created the banner displayed in front of Dr. Stanley Brown’s office, featuring a nature-inspired scene. Packard also chose a nature theme for the banner located in front of Dixie Diner. Gmeiner, who has a talent for painting realistic faces, took a more personal approach with the banner in front of Neves Furniture, creating a memorial piece honoring longtime Antigo Daily Journal Editor and Publisher and community advocate Fred Berner.
Fred Berner passed away in 2019 after a lifetime of work with the Antigo Daily Journal, a newspaper founded by his family in 1905. His connection to the community and his role in documenting Antigo’s history made the banner a fitting tribute.
“Fred realized a vibrant community is more than bricks and mortar. He knew it was made better through its support of the fine arts, including venues such as Music in the Park, the Antigo Music Association, art displays and exhibits such as the AVA gallery at the museum, the downtown murals, and now this banner project.
His banner, designed by Danna Gabriel with input from those who knew Fred best, captures his love of his community, his passion for chronicling it through word and photos and the over 100-year role of the Antigo Daily Journal and the Berner family in its history,” said Lisa Haefs, who worked with Berner for decades at the Antigo Journal and offered design input on the mural.
According to project organizers, the banners are more than just decorations. They represent the creativity of local artists and the willingness of community members, artists, businesses and organizations to work together to make Antigo a more vibrant and welcoming place.
Antigo Visual Arts would like to thank the City of Antigo Street Department for its continued collaboration and support of this creative project, as well as Eldridge, Gmeiner, Packard and the other AVA artists who have volunteered their time and materials to take on these large-scale projects.
“These artists are taking on a huge canvas, literally,” said Danna Gabriel, President of Antigo Visual Arts. “They are volunteering their time, their creativity and their paint to make our community more beautiful, and we are incredibly grateful for their willingness to take on these projects.”
Project organizers encourage residents and visitors to take a walk or drive through downtown Antigo and see the banners for themselves. The artwork can be found along the 700 block and 900 block of 5th Avenue, adding color, creativity and local stories to the downtown streetscape.
Project organizers invite the community to come downtown, take a look and enjoy the work of Antigo’s talented local artists.
