Go Fish!

GoFish! began as a bold experiment—an idea to flood Erie with public art and see what happened. What followed was a creative surge unlike anything the city had seen. More than 100 fish sculptures appeared across Erie, each one imagined and painted by local artists. Some became instant icons, with The Sturgeon General achieving near‑mythic status among fans.

Two fish designs—one horizontal, one vertical—were chosen as the project’s canvas. Artists from every corner of the community stepped forward, so many that organizers joked there simply “weren’t enough fish to go around.” The first to hit the streets was The Cosmic Fish, unveiled in 2001 outside Gannon’s Old Main. Soon after came a zebra‑striped creation painted in a single weekend, proving just how quickly the city’s imagination could ignite.

Even the Seitzinger family joined the wave. David Seitzinger Sr.’s Swingin’ in the Rain shimmered in blue and silver, complete with a tiny tuxedo‑clad Kermit the Frog holding an umbrella—a whimsical touch that captured the project’s playful heart. GoFish! didn’t just decorate Erie; it energized it, drawing thousands downtown and leaving behind a legacy of creativity that still ripples through the city today.