Tour Of Wagons: Big Top Magic In Dowtown Baraboo
by Audrie Pelosi
Step right up and discover the magic of Baraboo’s circus legacy through a brand-new lens. Downtown Baraboo Inc. invites you to experience the Tour of Wagons, a month-long art exhibit celebrating community, creativity, and the colorful spirit of the Big Top. Seventeen uniquely painted circus wagons are now on display in the windows of participating downtown businesses, each one reimagined by a local artist and inspired by Baraboo’s rich circus history.
This self-guided walking tour is the perfect way to explore Downtown Baraboo while enjoying a variety of artistic styles—from whimsical and nostalgic to bold and thought-provoking. Whether you’re a lifelong circus fan or simply love discovering local talent, the Tour of Wagons offers something for everyone.
Want a closer look at the creativity behind the canvases? Scroll down to explore highlights from the exhibit and hear directly from the artists about the inspiration behind their work.
Brett Klawitter
Displayed at The Baraboo Shop
“For the Tour of Wagons in Downtown Baraboo, I wanted to paint something that wasn’t just another pretty wagon—it had to feel like my work. Bold, messy, colorful, and full of that layered circus energy Baraboo’s known for. The balloon elephant floating away is a nod to Viola and Kelly, the last two incredible elephants from Circus World, before shifting public opinion and animal welfare laws brought that era to a close. I got involved because I’m already knee-deep in Baraboo events, but this one’s all about art—and that’s where I live. Helping Seth line up artists and iron out the details was honestly a blast. If you’re cruising downtown, you can catch my wagon painting in the window at The Baraboo Shop—it won’t blend in, I promise.”
Children’s Wagon
Displayed at Recycled Sally’s
“This wagon was made with excitement from Pre-Kindergarten students at West Elementary in Baraboo. The students colorful hands and enthusiastic smiles in coloring this piece. We are grateful for the children’s inclusion as part of the Tour of Wagons!”
Christopher Sweet
Displayed at Bekah Kate’s
“My painting is inspired by the days of the Stand Rock Indian Ceremonial. A show that shared the cultures of the First Nations through song and dance.”
Community Wagon
Displayed at Powerline Coffee Co.
“The wagon is a testament to community. Baraboo is home to a rich array of small businesses, dining establishments, residents, and empowering organizations. Many businesses rally together to do good for each other but for our little space in the state of Wisconsin. We are immensely proud of the contributions that each business provides to Baraboo.”
Danielle Rosene
Displayed at 3 Generations
“Being a mom and having my children as inspiration was the heart of this painting. From the bedtime stories we read together to the way they see the world in bright colors, I wanted this piece to reflect that same youthful joy, because the circus brings out the kid in all of us!
Under the Little Big Top: Trunk Full of Dreams was painted for Baraboo as a reminder to always keep your imagination alive and colorful. The baby elephant, nestled in a circus wagon, represents innocence, wonder, and the quiet strength of new beginnings. It symbolizes both our town’s rich circus history and the bright future still unfolding.
I chose to participate in this community event because, like the baby elephant, I sometimes need the reminder to be a kid again. Between working full-time, being a mom and wife, and juggling so many roles, I often forget to be imaginative, creative, and to take time to explore. This painting is for everyone, to celebrate our shared stories and to bring a bit of color and joy into each day. It’s a playful nudge to stay curious, be imaginative, and feel young at heart.
I’m honored to contribute to this project and to help celebrate what makes our community so vibrant and full of life.”
Garett Thomte
Displayed at Jen’s Alpine Cafe
“I wanted to get involved with the tour of wagons to get more involved with the art scene in Baraboo as well as participate in an event to bring attention to the Downtown scene.
This wagon was how I see traditional wagons for the circus. I wanted the wagon highlighted from the background by keeping everything in grays and black and white to emphasize the red of the wagon the aged wood and aged gold and white art on the wagon. Many of the wagons I researched celebrated America so I wanted that highlighted with the plaque as well as what was to represent would carvings painted/aged gold with the eagle, the flag and the lady standing on a ball/world.”
Garett Thomte
Displayed at Baraboo State Bank
“I wanted to get involved with the tour of wagons to get more involved with the art scene in Baraboo as well as participate in an event to bring attention to the Downtown scene.
That piece at the bank is what I see as the earliest version of a circus wagon primarily a canvas style with drapes and a lot of stitch work for the decorations. Lit by the old lantern. More of the traveling circus/gypsy style. I chose not to do a background like a landscape to be able to focus on the wagon with a light blue background that slowly gets darker as it radiates out from behind the wagon. This is not my typical style but was fun to create and imagine something different.”
Joe Clark
Displayed at The Village Booksmith
“My wagon idea came from the song “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” on the Beatles Sgt. Peppers album. The song was written by John Lennon with ideas that he took from an antique circus poster, a copy of which is included on the wagon. The wagon holds a calliope being played by none other than John Lennon. The star spangled rainbow background was inspired by a Peter Max poster. I got involved with this project after hearing about it through Spirit Lake Arts.”
June E.R. Schumacher
Displayed at The Labrynth Games
“My whimsical style circus wagon painting was inspired by fond memories of one summer in the early 90’s when Circus World Museum billeted two Clown College employees at my Garden Gate B&B. Charlie was the prop master and his wife Marion was a costume maker.
Marion taught me to make brightly colored rag rugs out of scraps from the sewing room and Charlie helped me with a few repairs. We became friends and I later visited them at their home in Sarasota, Florida when I was traveling to paint murals.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend rehearsal performances of the students. And I was gifted a Clown College jumpsuit just like those worn by the aspiring clowns that had special secret pockets to aid in magic tricks!”
Lee Schauer
Displayed at The Relish Tray
“This painting is about memory– not one specific moment, but how pieces of childhood hang on through color and shape. It’s a quiet way of honoring my dad and the feeling of being small in a world that felt huge and full of magic and parades. I used collage and acrylic to echo how memories get soft around the edges, but still carry strong feelings. It’s about the circus, sure, but also about how some things stick with us long after the moment is gone. I’m really glad to share this here, in a place that values art and story the way this town does.”
Lisa Newberry
Displayed at Sweets on Third
“Neurographic art is a therapeutic art form developed by Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev that uses free-flowing, spontaneous drawing to access and transform the subconscious mind. It involves creating a series of intuitive lines, shapes, and patterns, often incorporating rounded corners and connections to symbolize a merging of conscious and unconscious thoughts.
For this circus wagon piece, I began with the words ‘Follow your dream!’, added energy lines, rounded the corners and then added color!”
Rachel Rosenblum
Displayed at Oak Street Antiques
“For the Tour of Wagons project, I wanted to keep the vintage feel of the circus wagons. I love the history of the circus, and the importance of the Elephant in the beginnings, and duration up till recently. We in Baraboo love our Elephants, so I felt it was an appropriate part of the circus to adorn “my” wagon.
I love participating in anything artistic, and since I typically work making much smaller items, something this large was a departure from my norm, and was a wonderful experience for me.
I hope you enjoy all the wonderful Wagons out there! Thank you for allowing me to participate!”
Sam Brant
Displayed at A Sense of Adventure
“Step right up. Don’t be shy. Look here and see the art inspired by the strange and unusual traveling side show. Witness characters from obscure horror films together in one spot. What weird wonders wait for you inside the dark entrance of the tent?
Sam is a local of Baraboo, with circus history in his bloodline. He was honored to provide this art piece, and stuck to his normal (or abnormal) macabre style.”
Marjorie Cutting
Displayed at RE/MAX Preferred
“My wagon is a cage. Inside is my tiger, hand stitched and with diamond eyes. The wagon is surrounded by Baraboo residents peering in to see the tiger. The wagon is red with gold braided decoration. The center piece is an angel. The colorful wheels are made of stitched felt.”
As you continue the Tour of Wagons, take a moment to simply enjoy the artistry on display. While the following wagons are presented without accompanying statements, their colors, details, and themes speak volumes all on their own.
Brie Griffin
Displayed at Baraboo Burger Co.
Ciera Adams-Resheske
Displayed at Great Day Building
