Jim Richter roughs out the shape of a cloud while working on a new mural on the backside of a three-story building along Janesville’s West Milwaukee Street.
Jim Richter roughs out the shape of a cloud while working on a new mural on the backside of a three-story building along Janesville’s West Milwaukee Street.
Aesthetics matter. Just ask Janesville artist Jim Richter.
Richter took it upon himself to help beautify the alley behind the 100 block of West Milwaukee Street with a cheerful mural of balloons and blue sky. He’s spending his own money to add a layer of art to the back of the building owned by his sister at 111 W. Milwaukee St.
The mural is among a bouquet of artwork that has bloomed in Janesville. Five other murals were painted during the Art Infusion 2020 mural project in September. Last year, New Jersey artist Jeff Henriquez painted the Black Hawk mural at 29 S. Main St.
Richter told Gazette reporter Frank Schultz he wanted to give Janesville something positive during a difficult year. The title of his mural: “Keep looking up.”
One of the city’s most striking pieces of art remains under construction over the Rock River downtown. South Carolina public artist Deedee Morrison designed the metal tree sculpture being installed on the Mick & Jane Blain Gilbertson Family Heritage Pedestrian Bridge.
And the pedestrian bridge itself, which was finished over the summer, is a piece of art, too.
Taken as a whole, the town square area along both sides of the river between the Milwaukee and Court street bridges is growing into an inviting, interesting and pleasing-to-the-eye creation. It’s almost hard to remember the ugliness that was the crumbling parking deck squatting across the river.
Not that there isn’t work still to be done.
The building back-end where Richter created his art is among several exposed by the demolition this summer of the former Town and Country restaurant building in the first block of South River Street. The dilapidated building—ugly as it was—had shielded from view the alley behind first block of West Milwaukee Street.
Now, the Town and Country site is a square patch of fresh grass, and the alley is there for everybody to see.
Richter’s work helps, but we hope the building owners work with the city to hide garbage and recycling bins, freshen paint and replace faded awnings. What used to be hidden is now the side facing the downtown festival street.
The Janesville public art scene is on a roll. We hope more murals are painted every summer.
Morrison, while watching workers assemble her pedestrian bridge sculpture, said Janesville’s new artwork says something about the city.
“The city’s willingness, the willingness of its people to stay dedicated to regrowth, to not give in, is so moving for me,” she told Gazette reporter Neil Johnson. “As an artist, I wanted to tell that story. For me, this story is such an important story in America right now. That a city this size can come together in the middle.”
