"As a veteran of Desert Storm, I am keenly aware of the current lack of recognition in the public sphere for those who have given all over the past several decades," Schultz said in a statement. "That is why we started this fundraising project."
Read More“I would feel bad if no one said anything about the works that we're putting up because it would mean we're not having any kind of impact," Schultz said. "A little controversy is not a bad thing.”
Read MoreThe City, along with family and friends, wished to have a park that honored Ellen’s legacy as an interactive, peaceful experience—not as a static memorial.
Read MoreThe master plan calls for lighted trails, two circular gathering lawns, a peace ring, sculptures, a peace pole, a poet's garden, a quilt garden, a butterfly garden, a gazebo, a pavilion with restrooms, and a curved, pile-supported walkway extending over the edge of the Fox River.
Read More“The biggest thing is that these are one-off, unique pieces the artist spent time doing,” Schultz says. “They aren’t reproductions or prints. You are getting a piece of actual art.”
Read More“Art attracts people and it provides a sense of place,” Mayor Don Merkes told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. “Having something like that in our downtown in a very prominent location is going to be something that’ll bring people here to interact with that piece and explore how it impacts their lives.”
Read More"Over the 83 years since it was first dedicated, that statue standing at the entrance to Memorial Drive has come to symbolize not only the doughboy of World War I but of all veterans," said Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna, one of the speakers at Saturday's dedication.
Read More“We’re really, really excited to have it back,” said Alex Schultz. “A full and complete restoration of what this thing looked like nearly 100 years ago.”
Read More“Just having a war memorial that gets lost to history doesn’t do the community any good,” he said. “We have to make that connection to modern times.”
Read MoreJust in time for Veterans Day and Armistice Day commemorations, the Spirit of the American Doughboy is once again greeting drivers on the south side of Appleton. The statue honoring Outagamie County service members who fought in World War I was sent to Iowa in July to be re-cast.
Read MoreSchultz said the Oracle is here to stay, and is part of Appleton’s culture. “It’s become part of our identity,” he said, “whether we elected to do it knowingly or not. That piece is part of Appleton now.”
Read MoreQuestion: Where is the sculpture "Metamorphosis" that represented a Houdini trick? It used to be in Houdini Plaza. I think it is the most interesting sculpture that Appleton owns, and I want to know when and where it will be displayed again.
Read MoreThe exhibit will feature a dozen sculptures on display throughout the downtown and riverfront districts from 2017-2019, and plans to add another 12 in the 2018-2020 exhibition. Winners will be chosen based on the culture and beauty they add to the community.
Read MoreThe ACREofART program is entirely funded by private sponsorships without which the program would not exist. Please consider attending the premier to thank the sponsors for bringing additional art to the Appleton Community.
Read More"Removing the current statue, making a mold of it and then making a reproduction of that with the mold," explained Dean Gazza, Appleton's parks director.
Read MoreA new bronze statue will take its place on Veterans Day this year, said Alex Schultz, the leader of Sculpture Valley, a nonprofit arts advocacy group which assisted the city in creating the memorial restoration program in 2014.
Read More"This is the first of what we hope is an annual process and series to revolve our work in the downtown district, and hopefully an opportunity to acquire a piece of our own every year or every other year," said Jennifer Stephany, executive director of Appleton Downtown Inc. "It's a great way to bring in a variety of public art without a big investment."
Read More“It’s a means for people to engage with the community and engage with art, to grapple with big, beautiful ideas,” says Neilson. “It creates discussions about what we value, how we see ourselves and our place in the state, in the country and the world.”
Read MoreThe waterfront park, which was approved last April by the Common Council, will be located on a former brownfield site on Water Street, just west of the Oneida Skyline Bridge. In the city's capital budget, $50,000 was designated between 2017 and 2018 to start design work. Construction, estimated at $500,000, would begin in 2019.
Read MoreAppleton will remember that today, as we enter a year of reflection on WWI, that we will no longer be content to forget. Together, we have taken this monumental leap forward, committed to raising our memorials up and once again restoring their honor, preserving their glory for another 100 years and beyond.
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