Several sculptures were purchased by the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts Committee and installed around the City of Oconomowoc in recent years. These gifts are in keeping with the Festival’s mission to bring fine art to the community. Enjoy!
While celebrating its 46th year of bringing fine art to the community, the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts Board voted to “fill the gap” at the Lac la Belle beach front when the relocation for the flagpole was announced. The removal of the flagpole left the buried GPS signal for the city without a historical landmark.
Terri Field, a local artist, designed the sculpture, “Where the Waters Meet,” collaborating with the Park and Recreation Board to create a shared vision and historical symbol of Lac la Belle. This sculpture represents the sailing regattas that still grace our lake front. Featuring four sail-like pieces of metal, it symbolizes the four main lakes in Oconomowoc: Lac la Belle, Oconomowoc Lake, Fowler Lake and Silver Lake.
John Rawlins created his artwork to reflect the beauty that surrounds us in our natural world. “The Spirit of Oconomowoc” sculpture was purchased by the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts for the city of Oconomowoc in 2016 and relocated across from Veterans Park, overlooking Fowler Park.
John was an international wildlife artist and instructor whose media included oil painting, bronze sculpture, and wood carvings. His work can be found in local, national, and international collections.
The bronze sculpture “Melody” was installed on November 14, 2008 in front of the new Oconomowoc Arts Center, as a gift from the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts.
The sculpture was created by California artist, Tuan, who was born in Vietnam. His work radiates peacefulness and serenity through graceful lines and rhythmic compositions.
The Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts is proud to be involved in several youth programs.
At the 44th Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts, the Mindful Mixed Mediums exhibit featured a playful fusion of poetry, sculpture, and musical composition created by local students sponsored by the Kathy Boritzke Memorial Fund. Kathy Boritzke was a local artist and long time member of the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts. She was of inspiring character and full of passion and selfless giving. Her dynamic appearance in the 2011 One Vision: A Fusion of Art & Poetry held at the Oconomowoc Arts Center was the inspiration for 2014’s new exhibit.
Local students grades 5-8 had the opportunity to work with ekphrastic poet, Cristina Norcross, and sculpture artist, Layl McDill, to fuse the literary and visual arts. Torrin Hallet, the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts Virginia Harris 2013 Scholarship winner worked with Dave Reul, advisor/coordinator for the music portion of the project, to provide an original composition to accompany the exhibit (view video production below). The mediums were fused together and presented by local artist, Amy Kavelaris, downtown business owner of the Bloom Prints Studio, for the public exhibition held August 16th-17th at Fowler Park.
The 2015 and 2016 Middle School “Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts” project integrated science, math and art for a dynamic national exhibition as well as a local exhibition for the Festival of the Arts.
