Festival, mural launch Uptown arts district

Mayor Gary Becker and muralist Isaiah Zagar
(Patrick King photo)

To celebrate the creation of the Uptown Racine Arts District, the city is throwing a party in Uptown on Saturday, June 14, and creating a huge outdoor mural near Uptown’s entrance.

The Create Uptown Racine Festival will feature hands-on arts projects for kids, music, clowns, food and beverages, and more. Centerpiece of the festival will be the creation of a huge, outdoor mosaic mural on the side of a building in Uptown to commemorate the newly-formed arts district.

The free festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the municipal parking lot at the corner of Washington Avenue and 13th Street.

The Uptown mosaic will be created by a group of Racine artists and children, including students from the Main Gallery program, under the direction of nationally- recognized mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, left.

Material for the mural was donated by local businesses and individuals and includes tile, glass, dishes, metal, mirrors, and other found objects. For information on participating in the mosaic’s creation, call the Racine Arts Council at (262) 635-0261.

The mosaic will be created throughout the day on the north side of 1339 Washington Ave. — across the street from the festival site. As the mosaic takes shape, the public is invited to watch from an open lot north of the building.

Besides creation of the mural, other events include:

Art Projects for Kids: Racine’s Spectrum School of the Arts will have instructors on hand and tables set up for kids to create their own works of art. There is no charge to participate.

Mark Paffrath: Pop/folk singer and songwriter takes the festival stage from 10 a.m to noon.

Melvin Barker and the Blues Cruise: Racine’s favorite blues band will provide live entertainment from 1 to 4 p.m.

Food and Beverages: Refreshments for sale will include hamburgers, hot dogs and brats cooked up by Lou Larson of Peg & Lou’s. Soda, water and beer will also be sold.

Clowns: Racine’s favorites clowns, Cuddles and Billy Boy, will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Create Uptown Racine is dedicated to creating and fostering an Uptown Racine Arts District that will bring new life to the historic Uptown neighborhood and enrich all of Racine. It is sponsored by the City of Racine and the Racine County Economic Development Corporation, with support from the local business community.

The goal is to encourage artists from around the country to relocate to Uptown. The artists relocation program will help artists purchase and rehab buildings with the intent of creating live-work spaces. The long-term goal is to improve the neighborhood and create a tourist destination for art lovers. A website promoting the relocation program and arts district launches this week.

For more information about the Uptown Racine Arts District, contact Kristin Niemiec, Community Development Manager of the Racine County Economic Development Corporation at 262.898.7404.