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Art on the River - Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission Modified Recommendation Copyright 2014 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 9. ITEM TITLE: Art on the River - Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission Modified Recommendation SUMMARY: The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission is recommending that the City Council concur with the updated 2015 Art on the River jury selections and recommendations for outdoor sculpture at the Port of Dubuque. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve ATTACHMENTS: Description Type ❑ Commission Memo Staff Memo ❑ Recommendation from Arts Commission Supporting Documentation City of Dubuque C� .Arts CuLturaL Affalr.S Advisory Commission March 30, 2015 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W.13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Re: Approval of Modified Recommendation for 2015 Art on the River Exhibition Dear Mayor and City Council Members: Introduction The purpose of this memorandum is to request City Council concurrence with the modified selection of artwork for the 2015 Art on the River Competition. Background The City is currently in the ninth year of the Art on the River Program. The 2014 Exhibit, consisting of works of sculpture in the Port of Dubuque, will be on display through June 2015. In December, the "Call for Sculptors" for the 2015-2016 Art on the River Exhibit was emailed to hundreds of artists, galleries and educational institutions, posted on regional and national online sources, and advertised locally. This year, there were 30 entries from 17 artists. The 2015 Art on the River Exhibition will be installed in June 2015, with the date for the opening event scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2015, at 5-7 p.m. at the Grand River Center. The Art on the River process is overseen by a collaborative effort of the Art on the River Committee comprised of Arts Commissioners, arts educators, a representative from the Dubuque Museum of Art, local artists and city staff. The Committee previously recommended to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and the City Council that a blind jury process be utilized to select artwork for the Exhibition and to select different jury members each year, typically one from the Dubuque area and two from out of the area. Discussion A panel of three credentialed jurors reviews the artist applications and makes a recommendation to the Commission and the City Council on the selection of artwork. The jury made their selections of art work for the 2015 exhibition on February 23, 2015. Jurors for the new exhibit are: • Martin Arthur, is the Cultural Programs Supervisor for the City of Cedar Falls and the Director for the Hearst Center for the Arts. Martin was formerly the 1 Executive Director of Arts on Grand and the president of the Spencer Alliance for a Creative Economy in Spencer, IA. Martin is a former member of the Iowa Writers Workshop and a graduate of the University of Iowa. Martin brings with him years of experience in the arts as a patron, board member and arts center director. • Concetta Morales, is an artist living in Des Moines, IA. She received her BS from Skidmore College and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work can be seen at the Iowa Department of Transportation's Mitchellville Interstate 80 Rest Stop. Noteworthy public works include: "We Stick Together:Home, At Sea, Preserving Freedom," the commemorative mosaic mural for the 60 year anniversary of the Sullivan Brothers' death in the lobby of the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa (2002) and "Up, Down, and Around," a triptych mixed media painting in the new gymnasium at Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa. Garton Elementary School, Des Moines, Iowa has a multi-paneled mural dedicated to the merger of 2 buildings: Garton and Adams Elementary Schools. • Connie Twining is the Co-owner of Outside the Lines Art Gallery, located in Cable Car Square in Downtown Dubuque and in Historic Galena, II.. The jury originally selected 10 works and two alternates. Attachment 1 provides details on each of the works of sculpture including the title, artist, description of the art work, and images of each work. Selections were: Winter Moon, by Ray Katz, Pontiac, Michigan Victoria, by Chris Wubbena, Jackson Missouri Green Piece, by Nathan Pierce, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Quill by Dan Perry, Waterloo, Iowa Coalesce, by Kevin Casey, Cedar Falls, Iowa Onward and Upward, by Jeremy Rudd, Dyersville, Iowa Wedges 3, by Matt Moyer, Columbia Missouri Willow Dust, by Stephanie Sailer, Swisher, Iowa Mines of Spain, by Tim Adams, Webster City, Iowa Metamorphosis, by Jacob McGinn, Waterloo, Iowa Alternate Selections: Where is Your Lock?, by Zach Bowman, Ankeny, Iowa Always the Horrors of War#2, by Margaret Mear, Dubuque, IA On March 4th, this recommendation was reviewed by the Art on the River Committee and on March 10, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisor Commission reviewed this recommendation and was in general agreement with the jury's selection, although they had some concern about whether the image provided for the proposed sculpture Willow Dust delivered enough detail and if the sculpture Mines of Spain was structurally sound enough to withstand vandalism. The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission voted 6-0 to concur with the jury's selection of sculptures for 2015 Art on the River. 2 UPDATE Two of the original selections (Dan Perry's sculpture, "Quill"and "Wedges 3"submitted by Matt Moyer) have been sold. One of the alternates selected, "Always the Horrors of War" by Margaret Mear will be place in this year's show. However, Zach Bowman's "Where is yourLock7" has also been sold and will no longer be available as an alternate. Dan Perry also submitted an application for "Prairie Vane"which was well received by the jury but not originally juried into the show. The jurists were contacted via email by staff to seek a recommendation for its approval into the Art on the River exhibit. All three jurists concurred, and that modified list was then forwarded to the Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission via email, as well. The Commissioners concurred unanimously with the modified selection list and now submits the following to City Council: Winter Moon, by Ray Katz, Pontiac, Michigan Victoria, by Chris Wubbena, Jackson Missouri Green Piece, by Nathan Pierce, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Prairie Vane by Dan Perry, Waterloo, Iowa Coalesce, by Kevin Casey, Cedar Falls, Iowa Onward and Upward, by Jeremy Rudd, Dyersville, Iowa Willow Dust, by Stephanie Sailer, Swisher, Iowa Mines of Spain, by Tim Adams, Webster City, Iowa Metamorphosis, by Jacob McGinn, Waterloo, Iowa Always the Horrors of War#2, by Margaret Mear, Dubuque, IA With No Alternate Selections. Recommendation The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission is recommending that the City Council concur with the updated 2015 Art on the River jury selections and recommendations for outdoor sculpture at the Port of Dubuque. Sincerely, Sue Riedel Chairperson Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission Attachment 3 *4he River 2015 - 2016 Winning Submissions "Winter Moon " I� yY t if1' Y t Ray Katz,Pontiac, Michigan Width : 10' Height: • • Weight: • Materials: Aluminum 4-- ,�• - - i � L Artist Statement : I have worked in many mediums but metal remains my passion . Metal is best suited for my work because of its strength, malleability and inherent beauty. I combine geometric and organic elements to create compositions that convey the implied energy found in my work. I use the abstract manipulation of form and shape in space to create visual balance, using rhythm, action and movement. The implied energy of my compositional structures has become a hallmark of my work and is a metaphor for an evolutionary process that I associate with human experience. Through the creative process a hierarchy of elements become symbols for ideas that are a tribute to the evolutionary experience we all share in common on the human plane and in the transcendent experiences inherent in life's journey. "Victoria " Chris Wubbena, Jackson, Missouri ` Width : 5' Height: 10' - Depth : 4' Weight: 500 lbs Materials: Steel rmoms . Now kill ,�.�Ar i s •..� �� 11�i � Cape§imrAm. All��ll+l9i °Illllglpin ,l �i"-��. %r — A A II0 ® IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII " ° n A �. $�.,. �IIII��������I ,nuu,u„nu���1uu11��� 1611P� �IIIIIIIIIIII Artist Statement : Victoria, is a 10'h x 5'w x 4'd sculpture composed of steel . The title references the Latin word for victory. Within the architectural/geologic form exists seemingly eroded strata giving the impression of a lost triumphant past. "Green Piece" fiayE;• yNathan Pierce, • Girardeau, Missouri Width : 44" Hei x . .tea,{ r � �.i' 4r c+ • • r X Depth : Weight: • YF Z vter.�� � ,,.,y! _ - � .t �` .• ` . � C - �� '�`9'•..rte; !R 1 I Artist Statement : Dealing with issues of communication in my own life I have realized this is a struggle that many of us encounter. As I think about the idea of communication I realize that I can internalize this issue, or make it as broad as the world around me. How can we better communicate ourselves to the world ? This is the question . " Prairie Vane"" Dan Perry Waterloo, Iowa Width : 6' (r Height: 12' Depth : 4.5' Weight: 375 lbs Materials: Stainless Steel i _s Prairie Vane Concept Drawing Dan Perry Stainless steel,steel,powder coated steel 12'x6'x4' Artist Statement : " Prairie Vane" is based in the notion of a portable landscape stemming from my time living in the Midwest. The architecture of rural Iowa varies greatly, yet the common theme is how it is adapted to meet the needs of people; an adaptation that isn 't always ' pretty, ' but necessary. " Prairie Vane" explores our human desire to control our surroundings, from the elements, to the shelters that protect us from them . "Coalesce" Y 3. as Kevin Casey Cedar Falls, Iowa _ Width : 10 Height: 8' Depth : 5' Weight: 750 lbs Materials: Stainless Steel n. °'Ni; h <: � •+•� Vii. a ONE*. j. ;ci` iver Artist Statement : `Coalesce' is an abstract stainless steel sculpture. Being abstract, this piece focuses on dynamics and materials. The movement and shape of this sculpture create an organic feeling, while the hard edges and steely finish relate to the synthetic nature of the piece. My goal while designing and fabricating 'Coalesce' was to stretch and twist the material to its limit in order to create a dynamic sculpture. " Onward and Upward " Jeremy Rudd Jeremy Rudd Dyersville, Iowa -' Width : 40" Height: 97" Depth : 36" Weight: 300 lbs Q Materials: Steel & Cedar Wood u C I 1 r Artist Statement : This sculpture represents a metaphorical landscape where the man-made and natural worlds meet. The sinuous stem of the sculpture is topped with the protagonist, a small wheel and arm abstracted from large scale agricultural irrigation well systems. This machine is slowly creating a new landscape, drawing resources and relocating them. The plane represents a cycle through time undulating from thick to thin as the resources and conditions would dictate. This spiraling plane is made of wood, but wood that has been removed of its natural qualities and tendencies to be organized and made useful, but to what end ? "Willow Dust " Stephanie Sailer Stephanie Sailer Swisher, Iowa Width : 4' Height: 6' Depth : 4' Weight:200-300 lbs PROPOSED PIECE Materials: Mild Steel, 14-16 PROPOSED TO BE `IALL, 4'WIPE& DEEP gauge steel RUSTED STEEL& PAINT WILL BE CONNECIED 10 CONCRETE BASE WITH A STEEL PLATE&ANCHOR B0LI5 Artist Statement "Willow Dust" is based on a grain of pollen from the Goat Willow Tree. We often forget, as we travel through the world with our `human-based scale', how everything around us is highly detailed and intricately woven together. To us, they are invisible. But if our surroundings were magnified, we would find an alien world with amazing forms, textures, & colors, densely populated with endless organisms and objects. A grain of pollen is incredibly small and so easily forgotten, but an irreplaceable step in the creation of life for the Willow tree, as well as for a whole ecosystem. Realizing the beauty and importance of these tiny, small entities is fascinating and humbling. " Mines ofS p ain " r Tim Adams Webster City, Iowa Width : 3' Height: 6' Depth : 3' Weight. 1,000 lbs Y Materials: Black Steel and " ' 1 Native Limestone 1 •. 4 y r F i s Artist Statement This piece is still in the works at the time of this application. The image shows the concept in process. The layers of limestone represent the geology of Dubuque and the 1" thick slabs of steel symbolize the veins of lead. If you look closely as you circle the piece you can distinguish the facial features of a Native American miner from one angle and an early American Settler from another. ,., ^'+"�": -`!• a x� ��, � �;r � ..' A for mile 9� J C� t .l i. Artist Statement Much of my work depicts some abstract reality of nature/life. I work with metal because of its durability and timelessness. I don't use any oils or coatings because I want the metal to rust. I think that plays around with the idea that nothing can "live" forever; all things decay and wither away sooner or later. This piece started as scrapes of metal being welded together. After a while it become to look more insect-like and I was told to read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, because the story involves the sorrows of a man transforming into a monstrous bug living with his family and he eventually dies. So that influenced me to making the piece have more insect body parts but keeping some human-like at the same time. This piece is exploring the idea of if the man would have ran from his house and survived what would happen to him. " Always the Horrors of War " #2 � Margaret Mear, Dubuque, Iowa Width : 4' Height: 10' 1 .A r Y Depth : 4' s Weight: 300 lbs Materials: Mild Steel and bronze Artist Statement This piece is about beheading and the horrible act of war that it is and has been. Horse heads, instead of human heads, are used because we somehow respond to animals before we are able to have compassion for people. It seems to be less complex to react with pity to a cold, shaking, starving kitten, then to a man who is also cold, shaking and starving. The human tendency to judge and make an assumption tends to jump in. What did he do wrong? Maybe he deserves not to have a home? Is he crazy? Will he hurt me? Will he take more than I can give? Those beheaded journalists in the Middle East-maybe they took too many chances? Maybe they did not have good judgment? But in the movie "Warhorse" everyone felt sorry for the horse. In the "Godfather" movie people remember the poor horse who's head ended up in that guy's bed. We need to think about this tendency-we humans are also worthy of compassion. It is more complex, but necessary.