North Winooski Avenue
2006, Coated Steel
 
Until 2006, the conscientious bikers heading for the diverse array of businesses on the corner of North Winooski Avenue and Pearl Street tied their bikes to the trees and garbage cans lining the street.  When a request for a bike rack was sent to the Department of Public Works, their Environmental Planner for pedestrians and bicycles saw the potential to further promote Burlington’s reputation as a bicycle friendly city and incorporate the street’s creative character by turning the rack into a public art project. 

Burlington Town Center, Church St. Marketplace
2007, steel, hand blown glass, antique maple taps and brass found objects
 
A sculpture in honor of the Queen City Burlington. It hangs in the Burlington Town Center and is inspired by the history and beauty of our Vermont surroundings, including Lake Champlain, architecture, the sugaring industry, the Green Mountains, agriculture and our belief in community.

Photo courtesy of Kat Clear.

38 S. Winooski Avenue (First Congregational Church)
1968, corten steel
 
This piece was commissioned and donated by Dr. and Mrs. John French, members of the congregation, in appreciation of the Christian teachings presented to the children of the church. Paul Aschenbach initiated his career as a liturgical artist. Many of his early pieces can be found in churchyards or religious sites.

149 Bank Street (Key Bank Plaza, off St. Paul Street)
1989, stainless steel
 
This piece was commissioned by the Bank of Vermont. Terry Boyle, the landscape architect for the small park where these fish reside, asked Kate Pond to create a piece that would provide a sense of intimacy for the setting. Kate chose fish as the subject for the fountain because of its proximity to the lake. The sisterpiece to this fountain, Skyway, is a flock of seagulls and can be seen at Kate’s studio at S.T. Griswold Company.

Church Street Marketplace Top Block
2010,  Bronze

After more than 5 years of community planning and fundraising, Big Joe Burrell was unveiled in front of Halvorson’s Upstreet Café on June 4th, 2010 for the opening night of the Discover Jazz Festival. Sharp based the statue on a photo of Burrell taken in by artist Josef Cernikovsky. The site was selected because Big Joe performed regularly at Halvorson’s on Thursday evenings in the last years of his life. The commemorative sculpture is a permanent reminder of his unforgettable contribution to music in Vermont.

Church Street Marketplace
1986, copper
 
Commissioned by the Church Street Marketplace Business Association, this whimsical piece exemplifies the subjective nature of public art – some love it, some don’t. In June of 2002, vandals stole most of the statue, leaving behind only two feet. The Marketplace and concerned residents raised money over the course of the summer, rescued the missing figures and restored the Leap Froggers to their original stature.
Photo by Michael Weizenegger