The Local Arts Board is a subcommittee of the City’s Joint Parks and Recreation Board and Committee. Mayor David J. Ward re-activated this advisory group and appointed a full Board in early 2021 to energize his plan to bring public art to the City and create awareness of our dynamic arts community.

The Local Arts Board was established by ordinance, which can be viewed in the City’s Code of Ordinances.

We encourage residents and visitors to explore the the sculptures and murals available for viewing in the City and toward that end have created the City of Sturgeon Bay
Public Art Walk.

Learn more about each piece in the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk DIRECTORY and/or download the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk MAP.

Additional Public Art Opportunities in our Community:

Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair, hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay and annual sponsors, is held every Memorial Day weekend in Martin Park.  Artists of all different mediums, such as sculpture, glass, painting, jewelry, fiber, print, metal, photography, wood and ceramic, display and sell their original works of art. Awards, 1st through 3rd places, for both two and three-dimensional work are awarded, in addition to  Best of Show and Honorable Mention. 

Harmony by the Bay is a free outdoor concert series held in Martin Park (207 S 3rd Ave.) on Wednesday evenings during the summer. The concert line-up features a wide range of musical talents from local favorites to nationally touring artists. Bring your blanket or lawn chair. Food and refreshments available.

Miller Art Museum  is a year-round art museum located in the heart of
historic downtown Sturgeon Bay, Door County, fostering the creative life of the community. Founded in 1975 through the generosity of Gerhard and Ruth Miller, the MAM is Door County's year round center for exhibition, education and reactive enrichment in the visual arts and the Peninsula's only fine art museum.

Steel Bridge Creative District  Sturgeon Bay is an artistic hub for many different Door County artists, venues, studios, performance spaces, galleries and inspirations. At its heart is the Steel Bridge Creative District running on Second Avenue from Martin Park/Oregon Street to Kentucky Street. The District is anchored by the Holiday Motel and Tambourine Collaborative, Margaret Lockwood Gallery and the Inside/Out performance incubator, and Popelka/Trenchard Glass studio, gallery and workshops. As new spaces become available and new artists opt-in the District is constantly growing. Most recently there are food trucks and pop-ups, mentoring programs, workshops and new studio spaces for artists and musicians.

Sturgeon Bay Arts Crawl is an annual event and beloved tradition, held on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, showcasing the work of local artists. The public is invited into the artists' home studios and galleries to experience the artwork where it is made and engage in conversation with the artists.

Destination Sturgeon Bay's Sturgeon Bay Street Art Program features imaginative artworks mounted on stands starting in late May in front of sponsoring business and organizations. 2023's Bass Around the Bay showcases 27 artist-reimagined bass throughout both East and West downtown Sturgeon Bay. This unique collaboration of art and community has been created to beautify the streets of Sturgeon Bay all summer long  and leading up to the the 23rd Annual Street Art Auction, a part of the wildly popular Harvest Fest weekend, will be held Saturday,  September 16, 2023. Enjoy all the bass by following the Street Art Walking Map.

A Call for Art:
An on-going program for sculptors wishing to have pieces installed along our Public Art Walk. Read more about the call and download an application.



Local Arts Board members are appointed by the Mayor subject to Common Council confirmation and include one elected member/alder from the Board of Parks and Recreation and four representatives of the local arts community.  Board members serve three-year terms with service limited to three consecutive three-year terms (nine years). Members may be asked to serve again after being off the board for one full term (three years). Meet our current members:

Chairperson Helen Bacon - Ms. Bacon is the Alderperson for District 1, Chairperson of the Joint Parks and Recreation Board and Committee, member of the City Plan Commission, and the Chairperson of the Local Arts Board.
Margaret Lockwood - large scale paintings, visual artist
melaniejane - singer, songwriter
Claire Morkin - actor, singer, dancer
Stephanie Trenchard- fine art glass, painter, teacher, visual artist
Jerod Santek - writer, Founding Director and current Artistic Director of Write On, Door County

Looking for Additional Information about Public Art in Sturgeon Bay?
Call our Administrative Assistant at 920-746-6933 - OR - 
Contact the Chairperson of the Local Arts Board directly:
Helen Bacon, Chairperson - Local Arts Board at
920-493-7200 or  email sbdistrict1@sturgeonbaywi.gov.

Would you like to attend a meeting of the Local Arts Board? 
The Local Arts Board meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 9:00AM. Meetings are held in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall - 2nd floor.  The public is welcome to attend all meetings and there is an opportunity to comment on non-agenda items at each meeting. Occasionally, meeting date or times are subject to change. You can view the City's meeting calendar on the website.

Are you interested in Serving on the Local Arts Board or another City Board or Committee? 
Download and complete the Committee Member Application and return to City Clerk Stephanie Reinhardt by email at sreinhardt@sturgeonbaywi.gov or drop it off at City Hall, 421 Michigan Street. We thank you for your interest in the Local Arts Board and City government.