“Circle of Friends” by Karen Crain

According to the calendar, summer starts June 21. I’ve come to define summer as the first Saturday I can do two of my favorite downtown activities: shop at the Phoenix Park farmer’s market and stroll through downtown to view the Eau Claire Sculpture Tour.

Although my artistic skills are limited to drawing barely recognizable stick figures, I have always appreciated art. All kinds of art from floral photographs to stirring abstracts. Luckily for me, Eau Claire has a bunch of public galleries to see new work by regional artists as well as a few traveling exhibits. The Janet Carson Gallery at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center and the Foster Gallery at the UWEC campus are probably the two most well-known local galleries.   Did you know the Local Store, Tangled Up in Hue and yes, even the library also display work by regional artists?

“City in White” by Mark Horton

Many local businesses also display a permanent collection of 2D and 3D art in their buildings. One of the first public outdoor sculptures was installed at the library in 1971. The library now has over a dozen drawings, paintings and sculptures, including two Eau Claire Sculpture Tour sculptures funded by generous donations raised in the community.

Recently, the library received a donation of a new painting. Originally part of a private collection, “City in White” by Mark Horton is a serene oil painting of a bustling urban cityscape. The painting now hangs in a second floor seating area near the DVD collection. Be sure to check it out on your next visit to the library!

What about you…what are your favorite public art spaces in Eau Claire? Do you have any favorite sculptures, or want to know more about one of our local sculptures? Let us know in the comments section below.