Spheres are Here!

I'll admit it, I was a bit skeptical about this year's Downtown art project. Spheres? What's anyone going to do with a sphere? Well, count me officially wrong, wrong, wrong. Artists dropped off their finished spheres at Downtown Racine Corp, and they're amazing (maybe the best yet!).

Below are some initial pix. Thanks to DRC for letting us get a sneak peak at the creations!

13-year-old Holly Howe (she's actually 12, but her birthday is on Saturday) stands to the left of the turtle she created with 13-year-old Kayla Clair. Both Holly and Kayla are students at Mahone Middle School, where their art teacher, Laura Covelli (who's pushing the turtle), got them started on the turtle. While Covelli helped a little, Holly and Kayla did nearly all of the work, including finding the materials needed to make their reptilian creation.

Here's the finished project. Covelli lives in Racine and is a veteran of the Downtown art projects. She's made various creations in past summer, and made two more (one with her husband) for this year's exhibit.

Here's a collection of the spheres dropped off on Tuesday. They'll hit the streets next Monday, after taking part in an artist appreciation dinner and fundraiser at Windspread on Saturday.

More spheres!

And still more!

And more!


Craig Aude, an employee with DRC, helps roll in a planter created by Sally Orth and Terry Leopold.

Keith Nelson unstraps a speedy snail from his truck.
Kim Nelson, who created the snail, helps unload the art work.

A very cute Scrubbing Bubble sphere (I bet SCJ bids big on this one at the auction!)

The owl sphere is striking!

Aude and volunteer Richard Harris work on attaching wheel bases to the spheres. That way, store owners can roll the spheres inside at night, protecting them from the elements and ne-er-do-wells.

The baseball cow is another great piece from Kim Nelson.


Careful setting down that work of art!