Measuring what matters: How a local sculpture connects Onalaska

November 12, 2025

By La Crosse Community Foundation

Made possible through a grant from La Crosse Area Community Foundation, Onalaska Art Keepers brought “Calibration” — a graceful, light-catching sculpture by local artist Luke Achterberg — to life at the city’s southern gateway. The project celebrates creativity, community pride, and the joy that comes when neighbors join together to make something beautiful for everyone to share.

More than metal and stone

The newest addition to Onalaska’s public art landscape is so much more than metal and stone: It’s a reflection of the community’s creativity, collaboration, and care for one another.

Standing tall near the southern entrance to the city, “Calibration,” a sculpture by internationally exhibited artist Luke Achterberg, catches the light in fluid, metallic motion. Its sweeping curves, inspired by the letter “C,” nod to both craftsmanship and connection — fitting for a piece that has brought people together at every step.

Thanks to a microgrant from La Crosse Area Community Foundation, the sculpture’s installation became possible this summer, marking another milestone for the Onalaska Art Keepers, a volunteer-led group devoted to making art accessible in everyday spaces.

“It’s not just about putting up art,” said Joyce Diveley, artistic director for Onalaska Art Keepers. “It’s about bringing a sense of happiness and beauty to people’s lives. We want people to drive by, see it, and smile — and maybe feel a little lift in their day.”

Onalaska Art Keepers build bridges through art

The Art Keepers formed in 2020, when community members decided that the arts deserved a stronger presence in Onalaska. Originally commissioned as a city art committee, the group soon struck out on its own to cut through red tape and move more nimbly.

Their first major project, Michael Martino’s “Sunburst” (known locally as the Disc sculpture) on Main Street, proved what could happen when art and grassroots energy meet. They raised $180,000 through private donations.

“Checks came in the mail, businesses stepped up, everyone wanted to help,” Diveley recalled. The success gave the new nonprofit momentum, leading to murals, pop-up art shows, and the popular “Pumpkin and a Pint” community event, now in its fifth year.

Still, Diveley and her team dreamed of adding another landmark piece. When Achterberg, an Onalaska native, offered to loan “Calibration” to the city for a year, they saw an opportunity — and a challenge.

The sculpture required a custom stone base, floodlighting, and a crane for installation. “It was a huge project,” Diveley said. “We loved the piece, but we were trying to figure out how to make it all work financially.”

That’s when the grant came through.

“The foundation’s support was huge,” Diveley said. “It meant we didn’t have to drain the coffers. Without the grant, something else would have had to go by the wayside.”

The meaning behind “Calibration”

In his artist statement, Achterberg describes “Calibration” as part of his “Super Sleek” series, exploring the intersection of blue-collar craft and academic artistry. The title references both mechanical precision and self-reflection — a nod to his years as a welder and his later training as a fine artist.

“The sculpture pays homage to both scholarly and blue-collar endeavors as being equal in importance to civilization,” he said in the statement.

Diveley loves that balance. “It looks free and open and happy,” she said. “It kind of dances in the wind. Everyone sees something different in it, and that’s the beauty of art.”

Art that connects community

 From murals on Main Street to sculptures that greet commuters, Onalaska Art Keepers focuses on public art that uplifts rather than provokes.

“There’s enough angst in the world,” Diveley said. “We decided early on — no political art, nothing negative. We want to bring happiness and smiles. We want people to feel good about where they live.”

That mission has struck a chord. Every project the group has undertaken has been funded through community support — neighbors giving what they can to beautify their surroundings.

“Volunteerism is hard to come by these days,” Diveley said. “But we have a group of dedicated people who care deeply about this community. We just hope more will join us.”

Where art meets heart

As “Calibration” turns in the wind, its polished surface catches the sunlight and mirrors the movement around it — cars, clouds, people. In a way, it reflects the same energy that built it: The spirit of a community always calibrating itself toward connection.

“This sculpture is for everyone,” Diveley said. “It shows what can happen when people come together to create something beautiful — something that makes our city feel like home.”