FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter)--THEY INVADED THE STREETS OF AUBURN INDIANA LAST SUMMER AND AUBURN LOVED IT…20 STATUES BY SCULPTOR J. SEWARD JOHNSON, RENTED FOR THE SUMMER BY AUBURN’S ARTS COMMISSION AND PLACED AROUND TOWN…STATUES SO LIFELIKE SOME RESIDENTS TOOK DAYS TO REALIZE THEY WEREN’T REAL. THIS PUBLIC ART EXHIBIT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, DRAWING IN ABOUT 15-THOUSAND CURIOUS FOLKS FROM OUT OF TOWN WHO SPENT THE DAY BROWSING, AND SPENDING MONEY AT LOCAL BUSINESSES…A LESSON NOT LOST ON THE GOOD PEOPLE OF AUBURN.

Pat: Last year was absolutely awesome, but I think we can be prouder because this is us this is the local people doing this.

THIS YEAR AUBURN HAS BROUGHT PUBLIC ART BACK TO DOWNTOWN WITH HUGE COLORFUL BOXES, DECORATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS IN THE TROMP L’OIEL STYLE..TROMP L’OIEL IS FRENCH FOR ‘TRICK THE EYE’…THE BOXES ARE PAINTED WITH FIGURES THAT APPEAR TO BE THREE DIMENSIONAL. THERE ARE TWENTY OF THEM SCATTERED AROUND DOWNTOWN AND THEY ARE DOING WHAT EVERYONE HOPED THEY’D DO..BRING IN OUT OF TOWNERS TO ADMIRE AND ENJOY.

Trisha: I think they’re really really neat I like the boxes a lot, kinda adds character to the courthouse.

‘GRANDMA’S TRUNK’ IS A GREAT ONE, DECORATED BY LOCAL ARTIST BARB GORDON. ‘ROVER’S RECYCLING’ BY PAT DELAGRANGE GUARDS THE EAST ENTRANCE OF THE COURTHOUSE. AND WHAT WOULD AUBURN BE WITHOUT A CLASSIC CAR..THIS IS ‘CRUISIN’ THE DUESEY’ BE SHELLIE BELLINGER. PUBLIC ART IS A GREAT WAY TO BREATHE LIFE INTO A DOWNTOWN, PROMOTE ART AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS ALL AT THE SAME TIME. ALL IT TAKES IS A LITTLE IMAGINATION, A LITTLE EFFORT..A LITTLE THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. ERIC OLSON REPORTING, FOR YOUR COUNTRY.