Illinois -Rockford (May 2021)

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We had some time so we decided to drive through Rockford, Illinois. Here is some information from the Rockford Wiki.

Rockford is situated on the banks of the Rock River. The largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, Rockford is the fourth-largest city in the state and the 171st most populous in the United States.

Settled in the mid-1830s, the position of the city on the Rock River made its location strategic for industrial development. In the second half of the 19th century, Rockford was notable for its output of heavy machinery, hardware and tools; by the twentieth century, it was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation, and 94th largest city. During the second half of the 20th century, Rockford struggled alongside many Rust Belt cities. Since the late 1990s, efforts in economic diversification have led to growth of automotive, aerospace, and healthcare industries, as well as the undertaking of various tourism and downtown revitalization efforts.

So we travelled through Rockford and saw some great murals. There even some YouTube videos showing you the mural being painted. The links are provided underneath the picture.

The Wired Café Alley, 416 E. State Street
Artist: Jenny Roesel Ustick & Atalie Gagnet YouTube Video
The Tree House at Eddie Green Place, 331 E. State Street.
Artist: Kelsey Montague ( International map of murals)
YouTube Video
The statue in front of it is called Heels over Head. Artist Paul Borowitz
“High Hopes” at Lucite Holistic Salon & Boutique, 508 E. State Street. Artist: Molly Z YouTube Video
Atlanta Mural Artist Corey Barksdale
Artists: Lisa & Libbie Frost (mother and daughter team) Location 299 N. Madison Street
Artist Unknown
Concept Drawing, The Symbols, 316 W. State Street Artist Yulia Avgustinovich YouTube Video
This is a great mural – taking up the whole wall and perfectly sized. Unfortunately, we cannot find the artist(s) for this.
Rockford Orthopedic Appliance Co, 422 E. State Street Artist: Chris Silva
Love how the plant is being kept within the circle.
Baltimore Oriole
New birth mural by Artist is J.W. Matthews
Rockford Taking Flight which was collaborative community event painting it on the side of SecondFirst church. The colors are outstanding and fresh since it was just finished in 2020. The mural is meant to symbolically show how Rockford is learning from its past to help build a brighter future. The mural is about 1,700 square feet and covers about 5 dozen aluminum panels.
This mural is on the side of Noah’s Ark Rescue which gives an Abused Animal a second chance at Life and to experience what true love is.
The Rock Guardians. The city of Rockford, Illinois is symbolically protected by a quartet of fittingly stony sentinels since the late 1980s. 
Created by Milwaukee artist Terese Agnew in 1987, the four stone figures cut proud silhouettes in their secluded spot in the park. The 12-foot tall guardians are made up completely of boulders, each weighing hundreds of pounds, and held together with cement.
 “Harmony Atlas” sits atop a 7 foot by 25 foot granite sculpture in The Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza which celebrates the rich and diverse ethnic history of the Rock River Valley region and the universal aspiration for tranquility and world harmony. It challenges each individual to embrace a heightened sense of personal responsibility to erode barriers and construct enduring world peace.
Located just south of Veterans Memorial Hall, this sculpture shows six figures of men and women of diverse ethnic groups from all branches of the Armed Services. They represent veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. No element of the sculpture was cast. Thousands of individual pieces were cut, hammered and welded together for this bronze and aluminum sculpture. 
On the east side of the Veterans Memorial Hall building, this sculpture has recently found a new home in this location. The sculpture depicts a Civil War infantryman on top of a stone Corinthian column. The sculpture originally stood in the foyer of the old Winnebago County Courthouse and was a gift from the G.A.R. Auxiliary in 1877.
While having dinner with friends, we past Wrigley Field.

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