Battle Creek decorates downtown with public artwork

Over the past year bringing art back to downtown has been a priority for the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership.

Several sculptures were reinstalled or relocated there. The Cube, the Cyclist, and the Combine were among those. In October 2013, a mosaic, Edgewater, was created and installed by local artist Jone Rakoski on the stage at Wave Square. A competition announced in October will result in a mural installed at Friendship Park later in 2014. Another mural project is in the planning stages.

Now the vacant building at the corner of Carlyle Street and Michigan Avenue features artwork to catch the eye of those driving east on Michigan Avenue.

Four artists with the Rogue Artist Gallery, 117 W. Michigan Ave., in Battle Creek, donated their time and creativity to the project. Animals, people, and abstract art work now can be seen on the building thanks to the work of Corey Ayers, Ron Holder, Nick Jakubiak, and Donald VanAuken.

The Rogue Artist Gallery in Battle Creek was formed to give artists in Battle Creek a place to exhibit their work without having to fit into a preconceived mold of what art centers and councils want.

“When the windows on this building needed to be secured, placing artwork in sills just made sense," says Alyssa Jones, business development and communications manager. "This building is one that has been vacant for decades and the windows need to be covered up to make sure the sidewalk below is safe for pedestrians and vehicles who park and walk along Carlyle Street.”

The Battle Creek Downtown Partnership is an initiative of Battle Creek Unlimited, intended to establish downtown Battle Creek as a vibrant, livable urban center.

Source: Alyssa Jones, Battle Creek Unlimited

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Battle Creek decorates downtown with public artwork

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