Artistic Sights of the Southland
Expiration: Dec 31st 2026
Marvel in the public artworks that adorn our community streets and buildings with Artistic Sights of the Southland and you’ll earn points that can be redeemed for some sweet Southland swag!
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See locations on an interactive map.
Created by artist Dale Rogers, this powerful new work of art titled "Acoustic Dreams" is located steps away from the city gazebo, home to their summer concert Series.
This is the third mural is window view of Hartmann's Grocery from Main Street. depicting Crete's historic beginnings. Hartmann built the two-story brick structure in 1887 for his grocery and dry goods business.
Crete's second mural is of the founding family in the 1850s. Willard and Dyantha Wood, with their baby daughter, were the first settlers along the Vincennes Trail that is now Crete's Main Street.
The mural portrays Willard and Dyantha in the 1850s as they stroll along Goose Creek with farm fields and early structures on Vincennes Trail in the background. By then, they had 10 more children.
The first of three historic Crete Murals by artist Suzanne Dreher is the interpretation of picturesque downtown Crete, shown at the turn of the 20th and 21st Centuries. The mural is a tribute to Dixie Highway, and the part it played in Crete's history. From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, this extraordinary roadway was so named in 1915 to honor 50 years of peace following the Civil War.
The bronze sculpture of a photographer in the early 1900s was created by Bruce Fink, who grew up in Crete and became a well-known sculptor, designed and created the sculpture at his foundry in Connecticut.
Leavitt Park is the site of eight sculptures: On the Edge of Awakening (Terry Karpowicz): Terry Karpowicz is particularly drawn to tension at the point of contact between disparate materials. By joining irregular, organic materials (such as wood limbs or granite shards) to machine-tooled geometric shapes of metal, he creates actual or implied kinetic relationships among the elements of the sculpture. The stone and granite sculpture On the Edge of Awakening was inspired in part by his fascination with the innerworkings of windmills and watermills, which captured his attention during his studies in England. Land Jacks (Jason Verbeek): This sculpture is made three pieces and made of Cor-ten Steel.
Marmeg (Jack Rohe Howard-Potter): Standing 27 feet tall the monumental figure of a female form taking to the sky, made out of almost two thousand pounds of steel covered in a galvanized and powder coated silver skin took 4 months to complete and represents a major success in Mr. Howard-Potter’s career.
Reach for the Sky (Hilde DeBruyne): This is a contemporary sculpture in metal, representing a flock of birds around a golden sun.
Minions (Scott McMillan): Chairs, as metaphors for the human conscience, are a recurring theme in Scott McMillin’s sculptures. Minions consists of an elongated chair made of aluminum and elevated high above the viewer’s head. Set on long, wooden beams and a concrete base, this focal chair is surrounded by six additional chairs.
Uplifted (Richard Hunt): Uplifted is a stainless steel piece by internationally recognized sculptor Richard Hunt, which is dedicated to his late wife Lenore Cartwright Hunt. Hunt has experimented with a wide range of sculptural techniques, challenging traditional boundaries. With his rich body of work, Hunt has explored many historical and contemporary themes and his creations reveal the artist’s profound insight into social and political issues.
Eternal Flame (Fritz Olsen): Eternal Flame is Fritz Olsen's tribute to first responders and the sacrifices they make for others.
The colorful three - Blue Moon, The Purple Rising and Spine, Spindle, Heart (William O'Brien): were made from reclaimed metal that survived a fire in the artist's studio in 2012. To some, they may represent resiliency, starting over, beauty after loss or rising from the ashes. The artist says to him they are a symbol of triumph and renewal.
Ten Thousand Ripples (Indira Johnson) - a public art and peace-building project by artist Indira Freitas Johnson that placed 100 Buddha head sculptures in unexpected public spaces across ten Chicago-area neighborhoods. Designed to spark reflection on peace and nonviolence, the project invited community involvement in selecting installation sites and organizing related events. By integrating art into everyday urban environments, Ten Thousand Ripples encouraged civic dialogue, cultural connection, and social healing, with many sculptures remaining as lasting symbols of mindfulness and community engagement.