Rockford extends ‘Forest City Beautiful’ program of murals, sculptures, with additional $25K a year

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — From murals, to sculptures, to gardens, Rockford has received a makeover in the last few years, thanks to a partnership between the city and GoRockford.

The program has been responsible for the installation of various artwork and landscaping throughout the city.

“Forest City Beautiful is a program that we started in partnership with the city of Rockford, actually in 2014. It is a public-private partnership that addresses areas of concern that then turns them into beautiful landscape spaces,” said GoRockford President and CEO John Groh.

The program was extended at this week’s city council meeting to run another six years, with an additional $25,000 to be added annually to the budget.

“We wanted to continue it because we’ve had great success with this program. You know, one, we’re able to leverage public dollars with private dollars,” city administrator Todd Cagnoni said. “And it’s important that we have public spaces within our community that create a sense of place. And I think the overall success and benefits of this program have been very fruitful.”

Groh said the program has helped to install around 60 murals and 15 sculptures throughout the city.