Delay Dawn on Plank Road

Delay Dawn on Plank Road

Title: Delay Dawn on Plank Road

Location: 8th Street Bridge Tender South

Artist: Grace Barden

Date: 2021

This utility box was part of a 2021 collaboration between the Rahr-West Art Museum Public Arts Committee and Manitowoc Public Utility.Ten utility boxes in downtown Manitowoc were painted by local artists with designs based on works from the Museum’s collection.

Grace says:

I chose Garden Flowers by Frank Martin and Great Egret Preening by Robert Bateman. Frank Martin inspired my color palette choices and inspired me to add flowers like daisies and the occasional red flower to brighten my design. I chose a bright olive green I pulled from the vase in the piece and used bright colors throughout my work. I chose to add a sandhill crane to bring a sense of home in northeast Wisconsin. From top to bottom, I was most inspired by the world around me, and specifically, the sunrises and sunsets that I am able to see on Plank Road. Though I pulled inspiration from those art pieces, I also pulled a lot from nature to form what I believe to be a perfect sunset full of birds, flowers, and rolling hills.

Sponsors: Manitowoc Public Utilities, City of Manitowoc Room Tax Commission, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and Hallman Lindsay Paint.