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.

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“I just love volunteering for Keep Evansville Beautiful! It is a wonderful organization that makes a huge difference in the appearance of our City.”

Carol Pettys

“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.”

Mary Hughes

“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

1972Operation City Beautiful formed as Chamber of Commerce committee
1973George Koch Sons adds first adopt-a-spot on Lloyd Expressway
1975Incorporated as an independent not-for-profit agency
1980Assisted in forming West Side Improvement Association
1987Planned and placed Welcome Sign on Highway 41
1989Renovated Garvin Park Fountain
1990Planted Richard A. Schlottman Gateway of Green, hundreds of trees and shrubs along 7 miles of US Highway 41
1993Assisted in establishing Cedar Hall Neighborhood Association
1995-2000Spearheaded passage of public tree ordinance.
2001Celebrated Tree City USA status with City of Evansville
2002-2003Launched aggressive anti-litter campaign promoting use of a litter hotline.
2004Changed agency name to Keep Evansville Beautiful
2006Began watering program for Adopt-A-Spot from agency budget.
2007Freedom Plaza Park Renewal
Carolyn Georgette Memorial Greenscape
Retrieving with EVIE hardback book published
Created the KEB Agency Endowment
2008First Place and Second place National Award in Litter Prevention and Beautification, Keep America Beautiful
I-164/Lloyd Expressway Community Urban Forestry planting, 60 trees
2009First and Second place National Award, Keep America Beautiful
2010Moved to new offices at 209 Main Street
First and Second Place National Award, Keep America Beautiful
2011Dedicated Richard J. Borries Memorial Greenscape
Second major renovation of Garvin Park Fountain
Planted Phase 1 Airport Gateway with dozens of trees and shrubs
2012Implemented 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
2013KEB 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
2014KEB 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.
2015Airport sculpture in now complete and monument dedication takes place.

Planters along Main Street are installed.
2016Created mural at Highway 41/69.
2017Planted 100 trees on Highway 41 near CSX. The Green Teen Council is created.

JOIN US AND VOLUNTEER

“I just love volunteering for Keep Evansville Beautiful! It is a wonderful organization that makes a huge difference in the appearance of our City.” - Carol Pettys