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Madison’s long history of environmental activism, passion for the arts, and combination of urban living and vast outdoor space come together in the inaugural Winter Is Alive! public art festival. 

Winter Is Alive! is a unique multi-disciplinary event on display in Madison from February 12 through March 7.

Winter is Alive! will feature large outdoor art installations along with livestreamed performance and narrative events to educate the public on the realities of climate change and our relationship with the environment. Many of the installations will be placed on Madison’s frozen lakes, highlighting the community’s passion for getting outdoors, even in the heart of winter.

Winter is Alive! will feature 25 participating public installation artists from around the world. Artwork will be displayed throughout the city, including Madison’s lakes, State Street, Memorial High School, East High School, Badger Rock Community Center and the award-winning reclamation development, Garver Feed Mill. Local and international performative and narrative artists will share their work both in-person and via online events. Garver Feed Mill will project virtual and digital projects on its exterior wall throughout the event on Wednesday-Saturday evenings.

As part of the festival, Madison’s Central Business Improvement District, City of Madison and artist T.L. Luke will host the “We Are Seeds” city-wide scavenger hunt. Participants will search for 10 unique decals posted in nearly 50 locations around the city. The decals feature a series of illustrations by Luke highlighting sustainable efforts residents can take to support our community. Clues will be released via social media, and participants who complete the scavenger hunt can enter to win a variety of prizes.

For a complete calendar of events, description of artists and location of installation projects, visit winterisalive.org. Images are also available at winterisalive.org.