Oswego celebrates display of public art projects downtown

Those strolling through downtown Oswego these days just have to look up to see colorful artwork created by area students.

On June 27, a public presentation was held to celebrate two outdoor public art projects initiated by the Oswego Cultural Arts Commission.

For the Look Up Oswego banner project, the commission worked with Oswego School District 308 art teachers to hold an art contest for fifth, eighth and 12th grade students for a chance to have their artwork printed and displayed on banners.

The artwork of 87 students from 13 schools will be on display through October on light poles throughout the downtown. The high school student work is displayed on larger 30 x 60 inch banners while other grades have their art work on smaller banners.

Joel Pierce, 11, who will attend Traughber Junior High School this fall, is happy to see his artwork on top of a light pole at the corner of Van Buren and Main streets.

The banner depicts a campground in the tundra.

“I love drawing,” he said. “It’s just fun. You can be as creative as you want.”

Another project features six brightly colored art pieces at the corner of Van Buren and Main streets that double as bike racks.

“In 2022, the Cultural Arts Commission discussed the goal of bringing more beauty and more space for our residents to secure bicycles in the downtown area, which was sparked by a public display at a Laguna Beach, California art festival,” Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said during the presentation.

“The vision was brought to life by Chicago’s All Kinds Studio’s design of metal pieces welded into the shapes and colors of larger-than-life native Illinois plants,” he said.

The flowers represented are the smooth aster, red fox obedient flower, golden alexander and the rattlesnake master. Cultural Arts Commission Chair Tony Pastore thanked District 308 administrators and art teachers for introducing the contest to the students and “providing them an opportunity to share their fantastic work with our community.”

He also thanked Kauffman and the Village Board “for their continued support of innovative projects like this one and for recognizing public art as a way to bring our community together with beauty.”

Hunt Club Elementary School art teacher Bridget Piekarczyk, who is on the Oswego Cultural Arts Commission, had recommended the banner project at a 2023 Village Board meeting. She noted that many students were eager to participate in the contest.

Piekarczyk is impressed with how the project turned out.

“It’s exactly how I envisioned it,” she said. “It’s amazing. I’ve gotten e-mails from people just loving it, so it’s been great.”