CRE8IV mural festival returns, expands after one year hiatus

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announces the return and expansion of CRE8IV: Transformational ART.

This mural festival will be held June 7-11, 2021 and invites local and visiting artists to transform what the organization calls, “tired and dull walls into beautiful works of art.” In its first year, CRE8IV artists painted nine murals in downtown Rockford. This year, dependent on fundraising and community support, RACVB will add another three to five murals in Rockford, and one mural each in Loves Park, Rockton and Pecatonica.

“As we consider experiences that will enhance our region, ideas that increase access to art, enhance civic spaces and create a strong sense of community rise to the top of our list,” said John Groh, RACVB president/CEO. “The murals created in 2019 brought a whole new level of vitality and artistry to downtown Rockford. This year, especially as we come out of the pandemic, our team wanted to bring even more of that vibrancy and creativity to Rockford’s central city, as well as to additional communities in the region. We hope these new murals will inspire all of our residents and visitors for years to come.”

As CRE8IV expands to include three additional communities, Nathan Bruck, Loves Park economic development/planning manager commented, “The City of Loves Park is excited to be a part of this fantastic project celebrating art and culture in the Rockford Region. We look forward to working with RACVB and seeing a mural come to life in our city along North Second Street.”

RACVB is calling on artists with mural experience to produce large-scale works of art on exterior walls. Artists interested in producing original high-quality murals are invited to submit a proposal addressing all requirements for the project. Information is available at //gorockford.com/publicart. Applications for artists are due midnight April 10, 2021. For any questions related to the Call for Artists, please contact Kristen Paul at KPaul@GoRockford.com.

For more information about these art-inspired programs or to see photos from CRE8IV 2019, please visit GoRockford.com/PublicArt or GoRockford.com/CRE8IV.