CRE8IV: transformational ART
CRE8IV (pronounced "Creative") is a community-building, arts-infused event launched in 2019 as part of RACVB's placemaking and public art efforts designed to enhance the region for residents and visitors. In its first year, CRE8IV artists painted nine murals in downtown Rockford and 12 murals were added in 2021. (View the murals here.)
Artists | Murals | Map | Sculptures | Sponsors
2022 CRE8IV Murals
This summer, 10 local and visiting lead artists will work with teams of artists to create 12 new large-scale, vibrant murals in the Rockford region – bringing the total number of CRE8IV murals to 36. New murals in Rockford will be created in the South Main St. business district, in The North End (Main/Auburn St.), in Midtown District (7th St.), and in downtown Rockford. The program will also include two murals in Loves Park and - for the first time - one in Roscoe.
The list of mural locations, artists, concepts, and sponsors includes:
SOUTH MAIN ST.
1. Mural Address: 917 S. Main Street (North & South Facing) (2 Walls)
Artist: Anthony Lewellen (Chicago, IL)
Concept: “Hope” for a bright future, the sky is not the limit – youth focused, aerospace influenced Sponsor: Collins Aerospace
THE NORTH END
2. Mural Address: 1444 Myott Ave. (North Facing)
Artist: OhYa Studio – Ray Mawst & Brian Kehoe (Madison, WI)
Concept: Tiled style patchwork highlighting Rockford attractions, staples, monuments, floral and fauna Sponsor: Brubaker Charitable Foundation
3. Mural Address: 1402 N. Main St (North Facing)
Artist: Jenny Mathews (Rockford, IL)
Concept: Geometric shapes cascading across the wall using vibrant colors Sponsor: Rockford Area Arts Council
MIDTOWN DISTRICT
4. Mural Address: 206 7th Street & 208 7th Street (North Facing) (2 Walls)
Artists: Jenny Ustick & Atatlie Gagnet (Cincinnati and Toledo, OH)
Concept: Rockford Peaches Baseball – one cohesive project on two walls with a Welcome to Midwtown message
Sponsors: Kjellstrom Family Foundation & William Charles
DOWNTOWN ROCKFORD
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Mural Address: 815 E. State Street (East Facing)
Artists: Jenny Ustick & Atatlie Gagnet (Cincinnati and Toledo, OH)
Concept: Inclusiveness, Rockford focused using bold & vibrant colors to enhance the entrance of the downtown business district
Sponsor: workplace -
Mural Address: 707 W. Jefferson Street (2 Walls)
Artist: Murals & More – Michael Cooper (Franklin, TN)
Concept: Windows boxes with native flowers emerging through with sight lines to the sky above through empty spaces - Trompe L’oeil style
Sponsor: Bill Doran & Co. -
Mural Address: 311 Elm Street (West Facing) Artist: Brett Whitaker (Rockford, IL)
Concept: Restoration and refreshing vintage mural Sponsor: City of Rockford
ROSCOE
8. Mural Address: 10536 Main Street (North Facing)
Artist: Thomas Agran (Iowa City, IA)
Concept: Cityscape using broad brush strokes and vivid color Sponsor: Village of Roscoe
LOVES PARK
9. Mural Address: 5316 N. 2nd Street (North Facing)
Artist: Dustin Eckhardt (Loves Park, IL)
Concept: A colorful character immersed in a playful environment of local Illinois flora and species, with an emphasis on native pollinators.
Sponsor: City of Loves Park
10. Mural Address: 5545 N. 2nd Street (North Facing)
Artist: Brett Whitaker (Rockford, IL)
Concept: Color and compassion for the “City with a Heart” using vibrant shapes and lettering Sponsor: City of Loves Park
2021 CRE8IV Murals
After a one-year hiatus, the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (RACVB) announced the return and expansion of CRE8IV: transformational ART. In the summer of 2021, artists transformed tired and dull walls into beautiful works of art in Rockford, Loves Park, Rockton and Pecatonica. (Click here to see the murals)
Sam Kirk Mural Timelapse
Stuk One Mural Timelapse
How is a wall selected or artist chosen?
Wonder what it takes for a wall to be selected? How our artists are chosen? Find out here!
