Welcome to the Local Arts Board and Public Art in Sturgeon Bay
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.
Photos and a quick read about each piece on the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk can be found in the DIRECTORY. Download the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk MAP and enjoy!
For more detailed information about the City-owned pieces and the artists who created them, click below:
Bronze Eagle Monument
Cell-Owl
Centennial Capsule
Confluence
Lady Leani
UW Sea Grant Mural
Woolly
Celestial Sailor
Additional Public Art Opportunities in our Community:
The 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.
Destination Sturgeon Bay, the visitor center for the greater Sturgeon Bay area located in the heart of historic downtown Sturgeon Bay at 36 S. Third Avenue, is dedicated to ensuring a first-class visitor experience, helping local businesses grow, and enhancing Sturgeon Bay's quality of life. Stop by and help yourself to a copy of the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk Map available in their vestibule. The Experience section of their website will guide visitors and locals alike to museums, live music, and theatre offerings in Sturgeon Bay/Door County. If Artists and Galleries are the order of the day, try the Shop section for more information. Because there truly are #NoBadDaysinSturgeonBay.
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 are available. Click here for Harmony by the Bay's schedule for 2025.
Miller Art Museum is a year-round art museum located in the heart of
historic downtown Sturgeon Bay,
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. The Miller is located inside the Door County Library at 107 S. 4th Avenue. Admission is free every day.
Steel Bridge Day 2025 Proudly presented by the Steel Bridge Creative Foundation (see Steel Bridge Creative District, below) and MUSE Sturgeon Bay, the first-ever Steel Bridge Day will be celebrated on Saturday, June 14th, 2025, in downtown Sturgeon Bay. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Steel Bridge Songfest, Sturgeon Bay Mayor David J. Ward proclaimed the second Saturday of every June to be celebrated as Steel Bridge Day. From noon-5pm, musical performances on two outdoor stages in Martin Park will be free to the public. More information can be found at the Steel Bridge Songfest website.
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 (see WRiTERS' NiGHT, below), Margaret Lockwood Gallery and the Inside/Out performance incubator, M Anderson Gallery, 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 businesses and organizations. 2025's Set Sail in Sturgeon
Bay showcases 25 artist-reimagined sails 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 25th Annual Street Art Auction, a part of the wildly popular Harvest Fest weekend, which will be held Saturday, September 20, 2025. Enjoy all the sails by following the Street Art Walking Map and Sail Finder (coming soon).
WRiTERS' NiGHT is held every Thursday night from 7-9 pm in a listening room at the Tambourine Lounge (59 N. 2nd Avenue). This no-cover event brings together songwriters, poets, and storytellers in a "Greenwich Village-type environment for intimate and thoughtful performances of exclusively original material. Selections can range from spoken word, poetry, and authors reading excerpts from their books to musicians of all stripes. In addition to writers, his collaborative open mic event welcomes and appreciates listeners as well.
A Call for Art:
An ongoing 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 six representatives of the Sturgeon Bay 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, a member of the City Plan Commission, and the Chairperson of the Local Arts Board.
Ernest Wiley Beutel - Visual artist, owner-art retail & education business, former public school educator
Margaret Lockwood - Large-scale paintings, visual artist, gallery owner
Claire Morkin - Actress, singer
Jerod Santek - Writer, Founding Director & 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 dates 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 it 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.
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 BayPublic Art Walk.
Photos and a quick read about each piece on the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk can be found in the DIRECTORY. Download the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk MAP and enjoy!
For more detailed information about the City-owned pieces and the artists who created them, click below:
Bronze Eagle Monument
Cell-Owl
Centennial Capsule
Confluence
Lady Leani
UW Sea Grant Mural
Woolly
Celestial Sailor
Additional Public Art Opportunities in our Community:
The 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. Destination Sturgeon Bay, the visitor center for the greater Sturgeon Bay area located in the heart of historic downtown Sturgeon Bay at 36 S. Third Avenue, is dedicated to ensuring a first-class visitor experience, helping local businesses grow, and enhancing Sturgeon Bay's quality of life. Stop by and help yourself to a copy of the City of Sturgeon Bay Public Art Walk Map available in their vestibule. The Experience section of their website will guide visitors and locals alike to museums, live music, and theatre offerings in Sturgeon Bay/Door County. If Artists and Galleries are the order of the day, try the Shop section for more information. Because there truly are #NoBadDaysinSturgeonBay.
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 are available. Click here for Harmony by the Bay's schedule for 2025.
Miller Art Museum is a year-round art museum located in the heart of
historic downtown Sturgeon Bay,
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. The Miller is located inside the Door County Library at 107 S. 4th Avenue. Admission is free every day.Steel Bridge Day 2025 Proudly presented by the Steel Bridge Creative Foundation (see Steel Bridge Creative District, below) and MUSE Sturgeon Bay, the first-ever Steel Bridge Day will be celebrated on Saturday, June 14th, 2025, in downtown Sturgeon Bay. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Steel Bridge Songfest, Sturgeon Bay Mayor David J. Ward proclaimed the second Saturday of every June to be celebrated as Steel Bridge Day. From noon-5pm, musical performances on two outdoor stages in Martin Park will be free to the public. More information can be found at the Steel Bridge Songfest website.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 (see WRiTERS' NiGHT, below), Margaret Lockwood Gallery and the Inside/Out performance incubator, M Anderson Gallery, 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 businesses and organizations. 2025's Set Sail in Sturgeon
Bay showcases 25 artist-reimagined sails 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 25th Annual Street Art Auction, a part of the wildly popular Harvest Fest weekend, which will be held Saturday, September 20, 2025. Enjoy all the sails by following the Street Art Walking Map and Sail Finder (coming soon).WRiTERS' NiGHT is held every Thursday night from 7-9 pm in a listening room at the Tambourine Lounge (59 N. 2nd Avenue). This no-cover event brings together songwriters, poets, and storytellers in a "Greenwich Village-type environment for intimate and thoughtful performances of exclusively original material. Selections can range from spoken word, poetry, and authors reading excerpts from their books to musicians of all stripes. In addition to writers, his collaborative open mic event welcomes and appreciates listeners as well.A Call for Art:An ongoing 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 six representatives of the Sturgeon Bay 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, a member of the City Plan Commission, and the Chairperson of the Local Arts Board.
Ernest Wiley Beutel - Visual artist, owner-art retail & education business, former public school educator
Margaret Lockwood - Large-scale paintings, visual artist, gallery owner
Claire Morkin - Actress, singer
Jerod Santek - Writer, Founding Director & 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 dates 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 it 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.
