Baroque, by Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi, at Eaux Claires 2016

During the 2016 Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival last summer, a giant wire mesh structure called Baroque created by Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi provided a setting for brooding organ tones between musical performances on the grounds. The huge artwork was a cool centerpiece of the festival, which saw thousands of people enjoying art and music in our little city.

Even cooler, after the dust settled on year two, Eaux Claires announced that Baroque would be donated to the city of Eau Claire to be erected in a public park for the community to enjoy for years to come. Well, that time has now come.

With the help of Visit Eau Claire, Market & Johnson, UW-Eau Claire production staff, Eaux Claires creative director Michael Brown, and Tresoldi himself, Baroque (minus the organ it contained during the festival) will be set up in some green space along the Chippewa River near the Grand Theatre in downtown Eau Claire next spring.

Baroque is 20 feet by 20 feet wide and 60 feet tall, and inside there’s space to hold unique performances. It was organ pieces at the festival, but as a fixture in Eau Claire, there will be lots of opportunity for different types of performances.

In years to come, this seems to be a goal of the Eaux Claires festival: to have some of the artwork from each festival find a home in Eau Claire. Baroque is a mighty piece on its own, and a stunning addition to the downtown Eau Claire riverfront.