Public Art Trail Challenge Passport
Expiration: Apr 27th 2025
Our local communities are rich with arts and culture experiences and filled with sculptures and murals for you to discover. We have created the Kosciusko County Public Art Trail Challenge to encourage visitors and residents to explore the area and see for themselves the explosion of creativity in our communities. Head outside with your friends, family, and pets, and be inspired by the sculptures and murals scattered throughout the area. Plus, with this challenge, you can learn the unique stories and meaning behind each work.
If you check-in at 5 locations, you will be entered into our grand prize drawing which is a $150 gift card to the Village at Winona. If you check-in at all 31 locations, you will receive a bonus entry. This drawing will be held April 30th, 2025.
All prizes are available while supplies last. Have fun exploring our Public Art Trail Challenge!
Public Art Trail Challenge Passport
Our local communities are rich with arts and culture experiences and filled with sculptures and murals for you to discover. We have created the Kosciusko County Public Art Trail Challenge to encourage visitors and residents to explore the area and see for themselves the explosion of creativity in our communities. Head outside with your friends, family, and pets, and be inspired by the sculptures and murals scattered throughout the area. Plus, with this challenge, you can learn the unique stories and meaning behind each work.
It’s free to sign up and if you check-in at at least 5 public art locations, you will win a free pair of sunglasses! Max of 3 sunglasses per pass. If you visit all 31 locations, you will be entered into our grand prize drawing which is a $100 gift card to the Village at Winona. This drawing will be held on March 1st, 2023.
All prizes are available while supplies last. Have fun exploring our Public Art Trail Challenge!
Price
Free
Included Venues
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See locations on an interactive map.
Located in downtown Warsaw, this mural depicts the stunning natural beauty of the Warsaw, IN area. The Kosciusko County Courthouse stands proudly in the background surrounded by dramatic clouds. The image then leads the viewer's eye to a serene lake, one of the many lakes in the area. Colorful, cheerful balloons with lettering on them spell out Warsaw in the top corner, celebrating this unique location.
In celebration of Indiana’s Bicentennial, cities and towns statewide were asked to purchase and decorate bison sculptures, inspired by the bison on the state seal. Each town or city was then encouraged to decorate its bison in a way unique to it. The other bison can be found in Syracuse, Warsaw, and North Webster.
Artist Marc Eckel wanted to create something fun, relaxing, and playful. His hope is that viewers will be transported back to happy childhood memories when viewing this piece. His son, Andrew, is the one who gave him inspiration for this work.
This mural inside the Kosciusko County Visitors Center was designed to represent Kosciusko County's over 100 lakes and create a warm and colorful welcome for visitors. It is also designed to be the perfect picture and selfie spot, so snap away while visiting! This mural was created through funding from the IN Indiana Art Activation Grant through Indiana Destination Development Corporation.
One hand reaching for another is used to symbolize community and our interdependence on each other and God. Winona Lake and the surrounding region is a very religious area with a long history connected to faith. Allowing God to play a part has strengthened the sense of community.
Artwork donated by Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
This sculpture reflects on the experience of enjoying Winona Lake during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. As humans, we often spend these months pondering the changing complexities of life and our place in the universe. This grouping of sculptures shows a principal emphasis on the rhythmic pattern and movement that describes the constant flow and variable surface of the lake. The Fall tower features crisp edged forms that tend to flow downward, representing the time of year when life slows a bit and the vibrant, bright colors of summer mellow and return to the earth. The Winter tower is characterized by less visual movement and a greater emphasis on neutral colors, simplified forms, and static lines that capture winter's quiet, peace, and stillness. The Spring tower is the most energetic and signals a period of rebirth, growth, and stretching out after a long winter's rest. The colors and forms represent our desire to reach for the light in a display of hopeful energy.
This mural was created through the Make It Your Own festival, which was a regional art initiative which included 11 counties, where 11 murals were created by 11 artists in 11 days. Artist Tim Parsley wanted to capture just a glimpse of what makes Kosciusko County so great in this work.
A visual combination of the rich religious heritage of Winona Lake and the serene outdoor surroundings creates the concept for the Gathering. The stained-glass church window reminds us of the strength, power, serenity, and love we feel each time we enter a church. The intent is to help each person understand the scripture "you and I are the church...not the building."
Artwork donated by Rev. Bill & Judy Burd and Jack & Retha Hicks.
Located in the Warsaw Rotary Park, Gears, and the park itself, were created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Warsaw Rotary Club.
The stone sculpture uses the relationship between Nature and Man to illustrate the concept of generosity. The smooth geometric shapes at the top and bottom of the sculpture represent Man, specifically the communities and cities of people. The textured tree-like form symbolizes Nature. The bounty of Nature benefits Man. The efforts of Man gives Nature the chance to prosper. One supports the other, they are both parts of a greater Whole.
Artwork and bench donated by Village at Winona in honor of Dane and Mary Louise Miller's great generosity to our community.
This mural depicts Mentone in 1892, showing a herd of cattle being driven to the stockyard west of town. It provides a glimpse into Mentone's rich history and allows the viewer to take a step back in time.
This mural was designed to inspire the community to keep imagining the possibilities. It was created by artists ranging from preschooler to adult.
Art enthusiasts are encouraged to take pictures in front of this mural!
The concept for the "Words of Kindness" sculpture is that a meditation of an implied word could create a positive effect on the viewer. The intention is that a of a domino effect where one person feels kindness, then passes it to another person who then transforms a community, followed by its neighboring community changing the region, the nation, and finally the world. The spherical shape was chosen to represent the body as a vessel in which to hold thought and understanding. The spheres contain the meaning of the word "kindness" expressed in seven languages: English, Potawatomi, Spanish, Pali, Arabic, African, and French.
Legacy shows a moment in time expressing the love and joy between a grandmotherly woman, and a little boy. Though the woman is elderly, her agile pose and expression exude an eternal child-like quality. It is not only her knowledge and skill in the art of dancing that she is passing on to the child but joy, love, and grace. The boy's whole being is trying to emulate her as his eyes are fixed on her gaze with awe. The woman is someone who has lived a full and beautiful life and will be remembered for all that she has given to others.
Artwork donated by Steve and Suzanne Light in honor of our mothers.
Lifting Up was created by John Mishler and is dedicated to the memory of Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, the architect and designer of Warsaw City Hall, who died in 2013.
Honoring Suzie Light, former CEO & director of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, this piece has been created out of bronze as it reflects the sun on beautiful days.
The sculpture is made of a welded aluminum rectangle box beam and aluminum round tubes. In looking at the sculpture the two main elements begin apart at the bottom then they come together and at the top they cross. This illustrates how love works. Love is not a straight line, but a series of bends and curves that keep coming together. Some of the surfaces of the sculpture are painted red which is the color of the heart and love and it will brighten the sculpture when the sky is overcast.
Artwork donated by Carl Snyder and Rita Schobert Snyder in loving memory of Lois Snyder and Rudy Schobert.
In front of this mural stands a water fountain surrounded by a stunning array of plants and flowers. The mural itself depicts a peaceful landscape scene with a mountain in the background and several horses frolicking in the valley beneath.
The sculpture honors the wildlife and Native Americans who occupied the south and east shores of Winona Lake before the arrival of the first white settler, John Hamilton, in 1836. First the Miamis, then the Potawatomis were the Native Americans who occupied the southern and eastern shores of Winona Lake until being forcibly removed by the U.S. government in 1838. Treaties opened the way for the first white settlers and eventually for the Beyer Brothers to found a town in 1881.
This piece was created by retired art teacher, Christi Ziebarth, in honor of Payton Slaymaker who passed away at age 10 from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a cancer affecting the brain stem.
The concept of a sundial with its ancient timekeeping system is an imperfect method, completely dependent on God's will. Each day is a gift given to us by God. We each receive the same measure of time. What we do with it is our free choice. Peace is made up of many components that we try to control, change, or share. The hands carved out ceramic on the dial are different nationalities and ages, representing the many people of our world. The bare trees represent the twin towers, pushing us to a new beginning. The birds, circling the trees, take us on a journey for peace and freedom in hopes of moving us towards a new beginning. The American eagle guards the facsimile of the new Freedom Tower. The hand-prints visible on the base are from the local youth.
Artwork donated by Steven and Jennifer Hollar.
This piece is a representation of the life of Billy Sunday, the greatest Christian evangelist of the early 20th century. Billy was a man on fire with the Gospel of Christ, spreading the Word of God, and calling people everywhere to repentance of sins and faith in the Lord God of the Bible. He was the inspiration for countless evangelists of God's Word, leaving a burning legacy that will never be snuffed out.
The artwork features 62 glass plates, each of which has a different makeup used to create various colors.
With a Roliquery ball, the real art is the impermanent and fragile pattern created in sand when a hand pushes the stone into action. It is delightful to watch people have an "ah-ha" moment when they connect the ball to the pattern in the sand. Carved in reverse on the ball are the words written by a local man in notes and letters to his children about respect. He taught them that respect starts with self and radiates out from there, the same way that a ball will roll in many different directions from a single point at its center. A sphere has no beginning and no end, which fits the concept of respect as he described it.
Artwork donated by Kralis and Light Families.
This mural is situated on the edge of the building in the alleyway between the Huntington Street Bar and Grill and Wild Thing Tax, and it can be easily seen from Ind. 13N in the uptown area of Syracuse. It features native flowers, and a brightly colored dragonfly, which is designed to encourage visitors to take pictures with the mural.
Virtue stands as an effective power for good and illuminates the way. The stylized torch-like metal and glass sculpture was created to symbolize this idea.
Artwork donated by Rex and Barbara Reed.
The "Winona Queen" is an interactive piece representing the wheelhouse of the famous tour boat that rode the waters of beautiful Winona Lake during the 20th century. The wheelhouse was the "driver's seat" of the boat, but unlike the original version, this one allows children and adults to climb in and imagine steering the boat and giving tours of the lake.
Created by John Mishler, this sculpture reflects his original take on pop art as its design stands out dramatically against its natural surroundings.
The sculpture is based on the infinite value we as a species should place on our young people. The love, time, and energy that our youth need are very important. Viewers are invited to reflect on their own lives and the lives of others and think about what can be done to make positive changes for all of us. The artwork utilizes the images of a rocking chair/highchair and being read to. The chair height communicates the visual perspective children have of the world. Everything appears to be very tall to them. The book symbolizes the story of their lives unfolding.