A brush with history public art program was developed to help revitalize Ottawa’s downtown and create a cultural attraction for tourists and residents of the community. The program is sponsored by the Ottawa Visitors Center and overseen by a committee of citizens devoted to public arts.

The painting program began in 2002. As of early 2005, five murals have been completed, and more are scheduled to begin! The murals thus far have focused on figures or events that have been important to our history, including local industry, prominent citizens, or the creation of a major internal improvements project.

The program invites experienced outdoor mural artists to participate in our project. Artists will be selected to submit a sketch of their concept for the site. A jury consisting of project team members, community members and arts professionals will select one finalist who will be given a contract and paid to prepare a maquette.

For more details on the mural project, sites, or themes, contact the Ottawa Visitors Center toll free at 888-OTTAWA-4, locally call (815) 434-2737, or E-mail us at tourism@experienceottawa.com. The Ottawa Visitors Center is located at 100 W. Lafayette Street, Ottawa, IL 61350. (815) 434-2737. To download artist agreement, click here.