Planting a little art for all to enjoy

Port Washington sculptor Chuck “C.T.” Whitehouse and his wife, noted children’s author Barbara Joosse, can often be seen in Rotary Park on Port Washington’s lakefront.

Joosse tends to plants there, and the couple have recently planted a special kind of surprise for people walking through the park.

The couple have placed a number of sculptures from their private collection in the park for others to discover.

“It’s our joy,” Joosse said.

The six pieces are subtle, blending in with their surroundings just waiting for people to stumble upon them.

“You can walk past them 10 times and not see them,” Joosse said. “It’s when you look closely that you see them.

“And once you see them, you can’t unsee them. You will see them every time you walk by.”

The park sculptures, some by Whitehouse and some by other artists, reflect the couple’s commitment to public art. They had a sculpture garden at their former home in Cedarburg and donated 40 pieces to the Cedarburg Public Library, and the idea of creating a public arts program has always interested them.

“Chuck’s taught me that you don’t just plunk a piece of art down,” Joosse said. “It has to be placed deliberately. I was careful to arrange the plantings so they (the sculptures) were softly integrated.”

“One of the things I look for in placement is having it be seen from several sides,” Whitehouse said.

And Rotary Park, which is just steps from their home, is a place they spend a lot of time.

“I’m completely fascinated by the park,” Joosse said. “Rotary Park has been very important to us.”

The sculptures blend in with their surroundings as if they are part of the natural landscape, but they are anything but invisible.

“Presentation can take a smaller piece and make it feel important,” Whitehouse said. “We didn’t want to be precious to the point you can’t approach the art. We want art that is relatable, to create a place where people can imagine their own story.”

Watching people discover the sculptures is fascinating, Joosse said.

“I’ve had some people ask, ‘What is that plant?’” she said.

Joosse pointed out a series of four small heads that she calls the poppy people — a nod to the fact they are nestled among a grouping of poppies.

“They look like seed pods,” she said.

Not long ago, one of the heads was stolen.

“When that piece was taken, it made me sad,” Joosse said, but she later found it stuck in the ground nearby.

There’s a set of three bells on tall legs that resemble a leggy plant and, depending on the wind, sway and sometimes chime.

There’s a spirit house and a sculpture that resembles a nymph, Joosse said

“It looks like part of the woods,” she said, noting it’s set under a tree. “See how the flowers frame it.”

Whitehouse said public art has always been a passion of his, noting he has placed pieces throughout the community for almost eight years.

“Part of my concept was to find places for the pieces I could introduce,” he said, and tie them with the businesses they were near. That, he said, could create a scenario where people would move throughout the city and explore the businesses as they seek out the art.

“I think of how art can subliminally connect you to a greater sense of community,” he said.

The couple have a larger sculpture they are considering loaning to the City of Port on a long-term basis to place near the entrance to Rotary Park.

The sculpture, which they would like to see mounted on a pedestal and ideally be lit, portrays a group of ravens taking flight.

“I call it a blizzard of birds,” Joosse said. “That’s what this sculpture feels like.”

The park would be a perfect place for the sculpture, she said, especially given the nearby bird sanctuary at Coal Dock Park.

“It would be magnificent,” Joosse said.