For this week’s Social Distant Sunday segment, I thought we’d head downtown and check out the art at C.T. Gabbert’s parking lot. In case you didn’t know it, Chuck Gabbert hosts a display of ever-changing art in his parking lot. There’s murals, bird feeders, artistic tires and more on display.

Chuck calls it the Gabbert Art Park and he said he created it to give people a reason to smile.

Well, in this horrible year of 2020, we can all use a nice reason to smile, so it’s off we go for yet another Social Distant Sunday adventure!

As I made my way downtown to C.T. Gabbert’s Art Park, I saw something on the side of the UFS Building that made me pull over and take out the MBIP Camera…

They have a double mural on the side of their building that’s really cool!

Here’s some close up shots of the mural.

I found some information about this mural and you can read about Heather Brammeier and Mike Brown the two artists that created it by clicking here and here.

And here we are at the Art Park at C.T. Gabbert Remodeling and Construction.

Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane…oh, wait, it’s Chuck Gabbert in the window! Hi Chuck!

Okay, let’s check out the art in the C.T. Gabbert Art Park.

I love the bird houses that are in the art park. Cheep Rent, har-dee-har-har!

There’s a small book library where you can take a book or drop one off, nice!

You gotta love these brightly painted tires with flowers in them!

Here’s two of the art prints on display and the rocks at the bottom of the second one have a Stonehenge-like look to them. I’m not sure if that’s meant to be part of the art, but I sure hope so!

And here’s two more pieces of art on the side wall.

Okay, I think from the signature at the bottom of this painting that this is created by Doug and Eileen Leunig, two of Peoria’s more prolific artists.

Check out this article they recently wrote in Peoria Magazine.

Opposite the mural wall is this decorative art car with Popeye imagery on one side…

And there’s flowers in the back trunk and the logo for The Big Picture event on the front hood that Chuck Gabbert and local artists are part of. You can read all about that by clicking here.

Thanks to UFS and Chuck Gabbert for displaying local art and supporting local artists here in Peoria!

Now put on a mask and stay six feet apart and have a wonderful day!

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UFS

1800 SW Adams Street

Peoria

309-673-4503

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C.T. Gabbert Remodeling & Construction

1323 SW Adams Street

Peoria

309-637-2110