BASS AROUND THE BAY: CELEBRATING 24 YEARS OF PUBLIC ART IN STURGEON BAY
We’re celebrating 24 years of public art in Sturgeon Bay with our Bass project! This unique collaboration of art and community has been created to beautify the streets of Sturgeon Bay all summer long until Harvest Fest.
Download our Street Art Walking Map and Bass Finder HERE.
All 27 projects are on display for thousands of visitors and locals to enjoy all summer long leading up to the 24th Annual Street Art Auction on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Bid On Your Favorite Bass HERE
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Nicolet National Bank, for their incredible support of Sturgeon Bay Public Art! We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community partners and we are beyond grateful.
2024 BASS AROUND THE BASS
Door County Calavera
Kimberly Eisen-Wood
ERA Starr Realty
14 S 3rd Ave
As an artist who is more comfortable using colored pencil & decorating horseshoes; I really stepped out of my comfort zone with my fish. Acrylic paints are new to me & I’ve only done some small painting projects this far. I combined my love for Door County & Halloween time to give you this colorful fish. I used bright colors (typical of sugar skulls) & included some none traditional designs to represent Door Co. What do you see that makes you think of DoCo? I pushed myself to try something different- and I hope you enjoy it!
SWEET TREATS
Misty Witt
Door County Candy
12 N 3rd Ave
Cherries and Apples are two sweet treasurers of Door County. Cherries are what the county is noted for and give us our first splash of delightful pleasure. And our apples give us our fall comfort before winter.
THE DRAFTSMAN
Marissa Renee
Cedar Crossing
112 N 3rd Ave
For twenty-five years, my great grandpa worked as a draftsman for Palmer Johnson Yachts. Palmer Johnson was an immense source of employment for a growing Sturgeon Bay, and though it is no longer in operation, it left an indelible mark. In tribute to my grandfather and Palmer Johnson, this piece captures the draftsman as he sits at his drafting table overlooking historic Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. My great grandfather’s drawings peek through the rust in the background, and the Fortuna, a yacht he helped draft for the King of Spain, spills off his board on her maiden voyage.
A-LURE-ING BASS
Dave Hackett
On Deck
265 N 4th Ave
My wife and I live in Sturgeon Bay, “A-Lure-ing” was conceptualized based on the allure of Sturgeon Bay to fisherman and the variety of lures used in the sport. i have an extensive art background. Art director at an ad agency, an illustrator, designer as well as owner of my own design studio. Since then, I have had an art gallery in Sister Bay and free lanced for many, clients doing paintings (watercolor and acrylics) and various logo designs and concepts. I have participated in this street event for 8 years and enjoyed every minute of it.
COMMUNITY
Amy Anderson
Nicolet Bank East
236 N 4th Ave
I began making dot mandala art in 2022. Mandalas are interesting to me because of the way many different pieces come together to form one striking design. I see the parallel of mandalas echoed in community, in that many different people come together to form the culture and colors of the places we live and gather.
CWHATUC
Ernest Beutel
Door County Eye Associates
165 N 3rd Ave
“CWHATUC,” is an amalgamation of everyone’s imagination. My hope is that viewers will try and find as many different images as their eye will perceive. Each person may see something different as each person will have a different perspective as they look at the fish. You “See What You See!”
SHORELINE JEWELS
Paula Hare
Door County Traders
147 N 3rd Ave
Paula Hare is extremely honored to have been selected as one of the 25 street artists for Destination Sturgeon Bay. Over the span of four years, her street art has raised a total of $12,300 for Sturgeon Bay street beautification projects. Paula’s bass titled, “Shoreline Jewels” depicts the endangered Dwarf Lake Iris wildflower that grows nowhere else in the world but in the Great Lakes Region. Wild irises are especially concentrated along certain stretches of the Lake Michigan shoreline and can be found at The Ridges Sanctuary in Bailey’s Harbor. Twelve endangered or threatened plant species are protected within the Ridges Sanctuary including the Dwarf Lake Iris. Paula’s 2024 Bass gives homage and depicts this rare and protected Great Lakes wildflower found at the Sanctuary.
ANGELFISH
Ken Klopack
Dancing Bear
13 N 3rd Ave
Last year I used more of a graphic look for the bass I painted. Previously, I did a number of projects in a more realistic style, This year, I decided to be a bit more whimsical with this bass project. It was a lot of fun turning this bass into an “Angelfish”. I hope everyone enjoys it.
PLAYING JACKS (PICKING CHERRIES)
Paula Wendland
Steel Bridge Creative Foundation
59 N 2nd Ave
This is a lighthearted nod to simple childhood games that made summertime even more delightful. I hope it might bring a nostalgic smile to older viewers and maybe curiosity from kids who haven’t learned how to play “pick the cherries” yet.
ZEBRA BASS
Deb Stroh-Larson
Stone Harbor
107 N 1st Ave
Born in Sturgeon Bay, I’ve been making art since childhood. I’m fortunate to showcase my paintings at AMO Gallery, also Stroh Haus B&B for the Sturgeon Bay Art Crawl in July & October. This bass, adorned with Zebra mussels & driftwood from Door County’s shoreline highlights this invasive species threatening the fish habitat and food sources. The mussels originated in the Caspian Sea and infiltrated the Great Lakes in the mid 1980’s via cargo ship ballast water. Let’s unite, inspecting boats before and after launch to help preserve our fishing, boating, swimming and relaxation in this beautiful place.
AQUATIC HARMONY: PRISMIC BASS SONATA
Bryce Remy
Nightingale – West Waterfront
120 N Madison Ave
This year I pushed myself and installed stained glass sections on the bass. To give the bass some light, the back has “windows” to allow the light to come in and shine. You’ll recognize a lighthouse, wine, and even a mini bass on my mosaic piece.
PEONIES BY THE BAY
Shari Brzinski
Nicolet Bank West
34 W Maple Street
I have been creating art since I could hold a crayon. Art has been an expressive outlet for me my whole life. Art grounds me, heals me, and invigorates me. I am an art therapist at a nursing home and it is so rewarding to work alongside older artists who continue to thrive and create. Art is a language that speaks when words cannot. My bass this year is a labor of love. I used clay to create peonies delicately sculpting each petal. I then created silicone molds of the clay flowers. The molds allowed me to pour epoxy resin and duplicate all of my flowers to create a full bouquet of peonies covering the fish. Each flower was hand painted and attached to create a wave of flowers flowing from the mouth to the tail. The areas that remained were covered in mosaic tile patterns to add to the elegant nature of this fish.
ROCKY BASS
Cynthia Hilsabeck
Action Realty
49 W Maple Street
“Rocky Bass” is comprised mostly of Door County “Lake Michigan” rocks & glass mosaic pieces. Just for fun, there are also a few rocks from Montana & Lake Superior. The inspiration for “Rocky Bass” comes from an obsession with “Pretty Rocks” & “Shiny Objects”, unable to go anywhere without picking up a “Pretty Rock” or stopping to “ooh & ahh” over a “Shiny Object”. An amateur rockhounder, I have general knowledge of the stones chosen, some of which are granite, jasper, quartz, agate, various fossils & more! Be sure to check-in on his Facebook page for more information about his rocks & view his rock albums.
OVER THE BASS MOON
Darlene Klister
ARTicipation Studio & Gallery
10 E Oak St
It is said the best time to catch freshwater bass is May through July, the last hour of light, dusk, and during midnight to dawn. A new moon may also be favorable for the darkness as bass don’t move much when they can’t see. Some say Ojibwe people see bass as the bringer of peace. Combining this lore my bass painting shows a deep blue summer’s night sky fading to light blue toward the water. It is July with a selection of constellations that may be viewable in Door County’s dark skies. All phases of the moon surround and frame my bass, above as well as below. Some colorful nebulae (mist or clouds of gas and dust in the universe) are also in the mix. It is with a feeling of peace, both in fishing and in life, that this bass finds its joy.
GOLDEN BASS
Mitchel Heinrichs
Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub
59 E Oak St
I was a commercial artist and an art director for 20 years. After that investigation in to 3D media and oil painting. Now have a studio and gallery in Fish Creek.
FLOWER FANCY
Nicole Herbst
Door County Fire Company
38 S 3rd Ave
Door County has always been an inspiration for creating flowers in my art. The beauty of our natural surroundings will always motivate me as an artist. Artist ~ Facilitator
NHerbstCreative.com
DISCUS DANCUS
Megan Jain
Holiday Music Motel
20 N 1st Ave
You are witnessing the rare sight of a Discus dancus that has fallen through a portal to our Earth. Water is a deathly allergen in their home world and must be avoided at all costs. These critters float above the water and breathe air through their gills. Discus dancus are known for laying lots of eggs. Unfortunately, few can hatch. Humans have exploited their eggs and profited off of them by selling them as “disco balls”. Their diet consists of shiny bugs and insecurities.
To find out more very true facts about interdimensional critters, follow me @meganjainart on Instagram or check out my website meganjain.com.
HERE COMES THE SUN
Cambree Ney
Dromhus
611 Jefferson St
In remembrance of the best Papa who spread love and sunshine to everyone around him.
QUILLER BASS
Natalie Townsend
Monticello
715 Jefferson St
Flowers have grown; bees are buzzing; butterflies have landed; and hummingbirds have stopped by to check it out. ‘Quiller Bass’ has various quilled objects attached. Quilling is the art of curling/rolling strips of paper to form shapes that are glued and then manipulated to create designs. This hand-crafted art is called “quilling”, as originally a goose feather (quill) was used to coil the paper strips. Every object on this bass has been meticulously rolled and pinched to compose a pleasing scene.
LITE BASS
Monica Ramirez
Greystone Castle
8 N Madison Ave
“Lite Bass” by Monica Ramirez, Artist and Owner of the Mona Lucy Gallery, Sturgeon Bay, showcases 1000+ Miller Lite/High Life caps, melding color, texture, and unconventional materials. Each cap, secured with wine cork, forms a cohesive whole, enhanced by modeling paste and gold/blue hues. Taxidermy eyes add depth and whimsy, urging viewers to rethink the ordinary.The caps were collected locally celebrating communal creativity. “Lite Bass” invites passersby to rediscover beauty in the mundane, igniting curiosity and connection in unexpected spaces.
DIZZY DAFFODIL
Claire Erickson
Cornucopia Kitchen Shop
139 N 3rd Ave
Dizzy daffodil depicts an ornate mythical wildflower scene where women lay and are in harmony with nature. Inspired by the trails, land trusts, and shorelines of the peninsula. This piece is an expression of the overwhelming feelings I have when in Door Countys boreal landscapes
LIGHT THE DOOR
Rebecca Struck
Westwood Shores – Graham Park
10 Pennsylvania St
Light the Door is a tribute to the 11 lighthouse of Door County also a few other great locations for viewing natural light in the Door.
LIVE BASS
Annie Larsen
Novel Bay Booksellers
44 N 3rd Ave
Live bass combines my love of gardening and attempts to show my high school art students anything is possible.
MAKING WAVES
Renate Gregory
The Mill Supper Club – Train Bridge
129 N Madison Ave
Did you know that sea turtles are one of the oldest creatures on earth? The sea turtle has remained unchanged for over 100 million years! There are 7 species of sea turtles. Sadly, 6 of these species are on the endangered list. Females always return to the same beach they hatched on to lay their eggs. Then, it is survival of the fittest. It is estimated that only about 1 in a 1,000 sea turtle makes it to adulthood. In many cultures around the world, seeing a sea turtle is associated with wisdom, patience, and good luck. Making Waves was created by using a texture medium with acrylic paint to give a mosaic look to the wave design, then it was sealed in several coats of varnish. The sculpture on the base was created by using rebar, steel rods and tin foil. This was molded into the basic shape, which was then coated in steel reinforced JBWeld. The next step was grinding and sanding the JBWeld to the shapes that you see. Each piece was set in a lightweight concrete base.The final step was painting and coating each piece in a clear epoxy. I hope you enjoy viewing my creations “Making Waves” as much as I enjoyed making it.
LILY BAY CREEK LIFE
Helen Del Guidice
Somi Gallery
45 S 3rd Ave
Helen del Guidice is the Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay and the owner of Del Guidice Studio at Lily Bay Creek Homestead.Lily Bay Creek Life is painted in oil and is a celebration of the living creatures found in the Lily Bay Creek environment. Lily Bay Creek is an ephemeral waterway that begins its flow in early April with the melting snow and is also spring fed. As summer progresses the creek plants absorb the water to become a wetland and by mid-July, the water is absorbed into a lush green zone. The creek and surrounding woods host a variety of wildlife including deer, rabbit, coyote, porcupine, sandhill crane, wood duck, ground fowl and even experiences an early spring sucker fish spawning.
PRIDE OF DOOR COUNTY
Trenton Yadro
Open Door Pride – Martin Park
207 S 3rd Ave
This is my first major piece that I have completed. I was inspired by the projects that my husband has done on previous years. This project highlights the best of what Door County is known for, cherries and wine.