ABOUT KEEP EVANSVILLE BEAUTIFUL
OUR MISSION
“Keep Evansville Beautiful is a catalyst for citizen action creating a beautiful,inviting, healthy outdoor environment to assure an improved quality of life and enhanced economic growth for the greater Evansville area.”
OUR VISION
“Keep Evansville Beautiful will align with businesses, government, schools, churches and neighborhoods in order to create a sustained focus on the beautification of Evansville.”
OUR FOCUS
- Litter Abatement and Prevention
- Recycling
- Beautification and Community Greening
Keep Evansville Beautiful works to actively involve tri-state residents and businesses in in working together to tangibly create a more beautiful, welcoming, sustainable community. Flowers in parks. Litter off the ground. Leaves out of gutters.Trees along highways. Expanded recycling participation, civics and citizenship education, Gateway development, greenscape development and maintenance, neighborhood advocacy, litter abatement and the Great American Cleanup, recycling awareness and America Recycles Day, government advocacy. Recently KEB has added a private alignment for a private/public park management. All are examples of the agency’s work.
This work improves and strengthens economic development opportunities, but is also essential improving and sustaining a healthy, good quality of life for all residents. Two sides of the same coin.
“I just love volunteering for Keep Evansville Beautiful! It is a wonderful organization that makes a huge difference in the appearance of our City.”
“Everyone at KEB helps each other. When something needs to be done, everyone jumps right in and helps – from the board to the staff. That’s my job too. I volunteer in the office and help anyone who needs it. My job is a blessing really, a gift.”
“Aerial Beauty” by Bob Zasadny
Gateway Airport Sculpture Monument
Increasing the aesthetic appeal of Evansville’s main corridors has been a long-time dream for the Keep Evansville Beautiful staff. In 2015, KEB unveiled our Gateway Airport Sculpture Monument. The Sculpture, designed by Bob Zasadny, incorporates a myriad of symbolism. Bob said that his design for the sculpture depicts “Breaking free from Earth’s bonds and soaring like a bird… This piece is meant to show the moment of transition to flight. The wings allude to P-47 propellers; the negative space between the wings resembles the bend in the river; the color relates to aluminum heritage; the body resembles Native American weaponry. Overall shape is meant to connote Delta and American Eagle logos.”
TIMELINE 1972-2018
| 1972 | Operation City Beautiful formed as Chamber of Commerce committee |
| 1973 | George Koch Sons adds first adopt-a-spot on Lloyd Expressway |
| 1975 | Incorporated as an independent not-for-profit agency |
| 1980 | Assisted in forming West Side Improvement Association |
| 1987 | Planned and placed Welcome Sign on Highway 41 |
| 1989 | Renovated Garvin Park Fountain |
| 1990 | Planted Richard A. Schlottman Gateway of Green, hundreds of trees and shrubs along 7 miles of US Highway 41 |
| 1993 | Assisted in establishing Cedar Hall Neighborhood Association |
| 1995-2000 | Spearheaded passage of public tree ordinance. |
| 2001 | Celebrated Tree City USA status with City of Evansville |
| 2002-2003 | Launched aggressive anti-litter campaign promoting use of a litter hotline. |
| 2004 | Changed agency name to Keep Evansville Beautiful |
| 2006 | Began watering program for Adopt-A-Spot from agency budget. |
| 2007 | Freedom Plaza Park Renewal Carolyn Georgette Memorial Greenscape Retrieving with EVIE hardback book published Created the KEB Agency Endowment |
| 2008 | First Place and Second place National Award in Litter Prevention and Beautification, Keep America Beautiful I-164/Lloyd Expressway Community Urban Forestry planting, 60 trees |
| 2009 | First and Second place National Award, Keep America Beautiful |
| 2010 | Moved to new offices at 209 Main Street First and Second Place National Award, Keep America Beautiful |
| 2011 | Dedicated Richard J. Borries Memorial Greenscape Second major renovation of Garvin Park Fountain Planted Phase 1 Airport Gateway with dozens of trees and shrubs |
| 2012 | Implemented the Great America Cleanup and coordinating with the city administration on the mayor’s CLean Evansville Initiative. Over 2,000 volunteers hit the streets removing tons of litter from the streets of Evansville. Dedicated Ed Ziemer Celebration Garden at 10th and Vine Street downtown Evansville Visiting and teaching over 10,000 students about litter abatement and sustainability with EVIE, our Labrador mascot |
| 2013 | KEB Board appoints new Executive Director, Marcia Dowell – March Phase 2 Evansville Airport Gateway Groundbreaking Ceremony – October Phase 2 Evansville Airport Gateway Wall and Landscaping – December 2013 First place national award KAB for Great American Clean Up, Hot Mess – October 2013 |
| 2014 | KEB Board appoints new Executive Director, Julie Welch. Bob Zasadny wins airport design contest with “Aerial Beauty”. Final funding is received for the Airport Gateway Monument. Gateway wall is landscaped with 1,400 native plants. |
| 2015 | Airport sculpture in now complete and monument dedication takes place. Planters along Main Street are installed. |
| 2016 | Created mural at Highway 41/69. |
| 2017 | Planted 100 trees on Highway 41 near CSX. The Green Teen Council is created. |