New wayfinding signs feature unique artistic visions of Dubois County

Jeremiah Peterson and Jay Bunyard installed a new wayfinding sign in Jasper Friday morning. The new sign features an artistic piece highlighting The Parklands; the opposite side includes directions to the park.

New wayfinding signs began to go up around the county Friday morning.

What’s a wayfinding sign? Several years ago, Visit Dubois County installed signs with directions to the county’s different tourism destinations. Though this is the new version of those signs, in the photo below is an example of the information found on those original signs, depending on where they were placed.

*Jeremiah Peterson of 2 Sign Guys finished installing the sign at the corner of U.S. 231/Newton Street and 15th Street in Jasper.*

Though full of great local information, as Visit Dubois County planned to update the signs around the county, they wondered how to use the 42-inch by 72-inch canvas on the opposing side of the wayfinding information.

“I just felt there could be something more there, so we started discussing that with our staff and board to get a strategy in place,” Lubbers said.

Those discussions led to inviting artists to apply to create their unique visions for the back of each of 16 of the 19 signs in the county. Those artists sent their own visions for a sign in addition to examples from their portfolios to be considered for the project.

Now, residents and visitors around the county will see work from the following artists: Emily Colucci-Peak, Corie Eckerle, Kyle Eckert, Diane Elkins Wininger, Leah Diekhoff, Andrea Fleck, Carla Hall, Anna Hayden, Abby Laux, Adam Long, Taylor Mitchell, Samantha Pfaff, Laura Pommier, Jillian Tretter, Dylan Wathen, and Elizabeth Wertman.

“I am beyond thrilled with the talented artists we had apply,” Lubbers said. “We definitely feel lucky and blessed to have the artists that we do have.”

Here are the images of those new signs and the attached artwork for each one.

The new signs accent Dubois County’s unique cultural attributes and help highlight destinations for visitors and residents alike. The art highlights Huntingburg’s Fourth Street, Ferdinand Forest, Holland’s Windmill, Patoka Lake, Jasper’s Train Depot and more.

The project was assisted by a grant from the Dubois County Community Foundation.

Along with the new signs, the organization updated the sign foundations and stanchions. Nicolette Vogler of 2 Sign Guys worked extensively with INDOT to design and construct the new posts to meet the state guidelines while providing a sturdier, longer-lasting signpost.

The signs will continue to be updated through the month of January at busy intersections around the county.

“We (Dubois County) are working hard to differentiate ourselves,” Lubbers said. “To make this county a place where people not only want to visit, but also where people want to live.”