2013 Art on the River Exhibition_Artwork SelectionCity of Dubuque
.marts & Cultural _Affairs Advisory Commission
March 26, 2013
The Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Dubuque
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Re: Approval of 2013 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 selection of
artwork for the 2013 Art on the River Competition.
Background
The City is currently in the seventh year of the Art on the River Program. The 2012 Exhibit,
consisting of works of sculpture in the Port of Dubuque, will be on display through June 2013.
In January, the "Call for Sculptors" for the 2013 -2014 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 79 entries from 47 artists from 18
states and one foreign country (Vienna, Austria). The 2013 Art on the River Exhibition will be
installed in July 2013, with the date for the opening event scheduled for Thursday, July 11,
2013, at 5 -7 p.m. at the Grand River Center.
The Art on the River process is overseen by 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 2013 exhibition on March 15, 2012. Jurors for the new
exhibit are:
Seth Myers is a conceptual artist and a dedicated arts educator currently working as an
Assistant Professor of Art & Communication at Loras College in Dubuque, IA. He received a
BA in Art from Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, and his MFA in New Genres from the San
1
Francisco Art Institute. He also attended Goldsmiths College in London, England, where he
practiced full -time studio art as a part of his undergraduate studies. Over the past 12 years, his
work has been exhibited internationally at venues that include the New Fangle New Media
Exhibition of GenArts in San Francisco, the Unge Kunstneres Samfung Gallery in Oslo,
Norway, the Berliner Kunstsalon in Berlin, Germany, and the Instituto Superior de Arte in
Havana, Cuba. His work has also been recognized in international art publications including
Art Nexus, Artist Magazine- Taiwan, and Japan -based Shift Online Magazine.
Sean O'Harrow has been the Executive Director of the University of Iowa Art Museum in Iowa
City, IA., since 2010. A native of Hawaii, O'Harrow earned his doctorate in history of art from
the University of Cambridge, England, in 1997 and a bachelors degree in Fine Arts (art history)
from Harvard University in 1990. He oversees the management and care of UIMA collections
as well as its curatorial, educational, fundraising and administrative activities. He was
instrumental in helping the UIMA house, preserve and display its vast collection at the Figge
Art Museum in Davenport, following the flood of 2008 that devastated the University of Iowa
arts campus. He served as the Executive Director of the Figge from 2007 until 2010. Prior to
arriving in Iowa, he was an Official Fellow of St. Catharine's College in the University of
Cambridge and senior executive in the investment banking sector in London. He currently
serves on the Iowa Arts Council Board of Directors.
Laura Primozic is an artist and the Instructional Technician at Illinois State University in
Normal, IL. Primozic received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota
in 2010. Her work has been exhibited across the country: Seattle, WA; Lincoln, NE;
Minneapolis, MN; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA and Schuylerville, NY. She also has work in
the collections of the Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis MN; Racine Art Museum, Racine,
WI; Saratoga Clay Center; and Schuylerville, NY. Primozic has been making work surrounding
the idea of the vast overwhelming arctic landscape and representing it on a micro scale since
2006. She is interested in absurd interactions between man -made objects and natural
landscapes. The highly crafted construction and simple design blurs the definition of beauty,
preciousness, and the pristine.
The jury 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 are:
Conscious of Her Shores, Jason Lowrey, Williamsburg, VA
THEB #4 or Jeff Boshart, Charleston, IL
Quarks VI and Quarks VII, Guy Believer, St. Charles, IL
RiverBoatBench, Don Lawler, Stephensport, KY
Cone Flower Cluster, Bounnak Thammavong, Swisher, IA
Steel Inverted Arch, Kenneth Thompson, Blissfield, MI
Moving Compass, Kristin Thielking and Keven Brunett, Stevens Point, WI
Prairie Walker, James Johnson, Charleston, IL
All Things Truly Wicked Start from Innocence, Jessica Teckemeyer, Dubuque, IA
2
Alternate Selections:
Rules of Civility, Kristin Garnant, Camanche, IA
Passion, John Bannon, Chicago, IL
The jury has also made recommendations on siting the works along the Riverwalk and at the
Grand River Center. On March 19, 2103, the Art on the River Committee voted unanimously
to approve the jury's selections. On March 26, 2013, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory
Commission voted unanimously to approve the jury's selections of works of sculpture for the
2013 -2014 Art on the River Exhibit.
Upon City Council concurrence with this recommendation, city staff will notify all artists of the
recommendation and work with selected artists to coordinate installation of the artwork in July
2013.
Recommendation
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission is recommending that the City Council
concur with the 2013 Art on the River jury selection for outdoor sculpture at the Port of
Dubuque.
Sincerely,
Marina O'Rourke
Chairperson
Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
Attachment
3
4
Arton
Rive
2013
Jury Selections 10
Finalists
"Conscious of Her Shores"
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Artist:
Jayson Lowery
Williamsburg, VA
Width: 19"
Height: 56"
Depth: 19"
Weight: 1400 Ibs
Materials: Marble,
Limestone, Cast Iron and
Steel
Artist Statement:
This piece is part of a body of work that is an extended metaphor for
contemplating correlations in how people interacted with one
another and how they shape their environment. The ruins and relics
of past societies are fascinating. They are tangible reminders that
civilizations decline, ways of life change, and technologies are
sometimes lost. The idea of a society in the distant future
interpreting the ruins, relics, and garbage of our society is
interesting to me. The remnants of places and objects we make and
live with now may not make sense to someone finding them at the
bottom of a hole a few thousand years from now. There may well be
some misinterpreting of the purposes and significance of the things
we take for granted. How would someone interpret the ruins of a
place like an airport if knowledge of flight were completely lost?
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Artist Statement:
When I ask my students to look at a sculpture they tell me they see
the sculpture and describe it quite accurately. However, they almost
always neglect to tell me what was beyond the physical form of the
artwork. My sculptures follow in the traditions of the Constructivists
and David Smith. Smith did a series of CUBIs (polished, stainless
steel, stacked boxes) that delightfully reflect their surroundings. My
THEB constructions (Transparent, Hollow, Empty Boxes) lack those
reflective surfaces but allow you to see through the sculpture. Are the
boxes empty or do they contain the environment beyond the
sculpture? Do they diminish the site or enhance your awareness of it.
Can you choose which focus you have intellectually or aesthetically?
The sculptures do not compete with their setting but then they do
their best to hold their own with an intimidating scale when you are
up close but display a more playful aspect when seen from afar. I love
this push and pull not to mention the use of more formal art elements
as I construct them. You never get too old to stack boxes.
I currently have these two large sale sculptures available for
distribution this summer. If it is allowed, Dubuque has first choice
of the two. The second one will be sent elsewhere.
artist:
Guy J. Bellaver
St. Charles, IL
I Width: 3'
Height: 6'
Depth: 1.25'
Weight: 150 Ibs
I Materials: Welded
Steel, Marine Grade
Fiberglass, Body
Putty & Automotive
grade Spray Paint
Quarks VI
Artist Statement:
Quarks VI — is made from fiberglass and steel rod, expanding
the artist's exploration within the Quarks series from the earlier
bronze pieces. The color palette of this piece is a very strong
"electric" blue. This vibrant color allows the sculpture to clearly
differentiate and utilize both its positive and negative spaces.
The Quarks Series
The Quarks Series is inspired by Fermilab - the proton -
antiproton collider that investigates High - Energy Physics, the
science of matter, space, and time. The collision of the protons
and antiprotons can only be seen when captured by a very high
resolution camera. The collision images are the basis for the
Quarks Series, which explores mass that is exploding and
creating disintegrating arcs - the fiberglass segments represent
mass, and the rod represents that mass leaving one area, and
exploding into another. Each sculpture in the series continues
the artist's career -long exploration of the relationship of positive
to negative space, and the energy of their interaction.
Artist:
Guy J. Bellaver
St. Charles, IL
Width: 3'
Height: 5.5'
Depth: 1'
Weight: 150 Ibs
Materials: Welded Steel,
Marine Grade Fiberglass,
Body Putty & Automotive
grade Spray Paint
Artist Statement:
Quarks VII — the color palette of this piece is more subdued than
the blue of Quarks VI, and explores shadow and light within the
energy masses.
The Quarks Series
The Quarks Series is inspired by Fermilab - the proton - antiproton
collider that investigates High - Energy Physics, the science of
matter, space, and time. The collision of the protons and
antiprotons can only be seen when captured by a very high
resolution camera. The collision images are the basis for the
Quarks Series, which explores mass that is exploding and
creating disintegrating arcs - the fiberglass segments represent
mass, and the rod represents that mass leaving one area, and
exploding into another. Each sculpture in the series continues
the artist's career -long exploration of the relationship of positive
to negative space, and the energy of their interaction.
River
Boat
IBench
Artist:
Don Lawler
Stephensport, KY
Width: 5'
Height: 2'
Depth: 2'
Weight: 1500 Ibs
Materials: Indiana
Limestone, Rock Pitch
Finish, Stainless Steel &
Monument grade Epoxy
Artist Statement:
This design was created after reading the
Wikipedia description for the history and
demographics of the Port of Dubuque. A
contemporary artistic interpretation of a river
boat (or barge) slowly turns out into the current
of the Mississippi River. The reference includes
the past (river boat traffic and construction) and
the present (barges and the riverboat casino)
importance that river boats have for the City of
Dubuque.
Cone Flower Cluster
CONEFLOWERCLIISTER: proposedworkby
A collection of spherical abstract artwork inspired by native Iowan wild flowers; the
cone flower.
Cone Flowers:
The inspiration for the fond otthe
Cone Flower Closter
Artist:
Bounnak
Thammavong
Swisher, IA
Width: 96"
Height: 60"
Depth: 96"
Weight: 225 Ibs
Materials: Mild & Cor -ten
Steel, Stainless Steel,
Outdoor grade enamel &
Spar Varnish
Artist Statement:
An abstract representation of a Cone flower
blossoms created in painted steel and
stainless steel.
Steel Inverted Arch
Artist:
Kenneth Thompson
Blissfield, MI
IWidth: 7'
Height: 6'6
Depth: 2'
Weight: 1100 Ibs
Materials: 10 gauge
Corten Steel &
Limestone
Artist Statement:
I see each new work as a 'clean sheet of paper' that
presents new opportunities to discover sculptural
solutions. Beyond content and my sense of
aesthetics, my sculpture concentrates on the
fundamental issues of form and how negative space
defines it.
oving ompass Aists:
Samples of the kind of glass work we do to give you an idea of what the glass would look like installed in the vanes and
against the sky_ We wouldn't use imagery since the glass would be too high up to see more than the color.
This piece is also available, and could be made stronger to withstand public interaction. The glass is designed to with
stand large temperature shifts, included freezing.
Moving Compass Series: The text and imagery fused within the glass disks relate to nautical navigation and tools, such as buoys, depth charts,
historical and contemporary compass designs, planets, maps of waterways from Lake Michgan to New York Harbor and Long Island Sound,
Each stands 5 -6' tall. each disk is 6 -9" in diameter and 1" thick: steel. cast -iron wheels. fused ;lass with enamels.
Moving Compass Series: Detail
Kristin Thielking
& Keven Brunett
Stevens Point, WI
Width: 6 -9"
Height: 5 -6'
Materials: Glass
with enamels, Steel
& Cast Iron
Artist Statement:
The text and imagery fused within the
glass disks relate to nautical navigation
and tools, such as buoys, depth charts,
historical and contemporary compass
designs, planets, maps of waterways from
Lake Michigan to New York Harbor and
Long Island Sound.
Prairie Walker
1
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Artist:
James Johnson
Charleston, IL
Width: 10'
Height: 12'
Depth: 6'
Weight: 1200 Ibs
Materials:10 gauge Cor -ten
Steel
Artist Statement:
As a sculptor, I have always been concerned with creating works of art that
cause the viewer to pause and reflect upon their surroundings and in doing
so become more aware of the environment that they are passing though. In
addition, each work of art that I have designed and fabricated is a reflection
of past experiences that have shaped my life and the interest that I have in
ancient cultures, especially the Mayan and Inca that used art as a means of
understanding their place in the history of mankind. Equally important has
been my use of the arch as a means of transforming the viewer from a place
and time of activity to one of calm and reflection.
'Prairie Walker" was completed in the summer of 2011. In many ways it is a
reflection of my experiences of living in the Southwest and Western United
States in the early years of my life. Traveling through the wide -open spaces
of deserts and prairies I was taken with the images that man -made
structures made against the horizon and how in the heat of
summer they seemed to move. Later in life I was involved in track events
and would often train by running across the prairie and through vast wheat
fields, it is perhaps the combination of these experiences that are reflected
in "Prairie Walker."
All Things Truly Wicked
Start From Innocence
Artist:
Jessica
Teckemeyer
Dubuque, IA
Width: 24.5
Height: 18
0 Depth: 25
Weight: 100 Ibs
Materials:
Synthetic Material,
Bronze Casting,
Patina &
Automotive Wax
Artist Statement:
The sculpture "All Things Truly Wicked Start From Innocence" is a
representation of a new born whitetail deer attempting to stand juxtaposed
with the shadow of a wolf. The head is visually distorted as if a slow motion
blur has permanently stretched and morphed the physicality. This frozen
action attempts to convey panic or a moment of distraction. The sculpture will
be cast bronze. Bronze is a material historically utilized to depict heroic
individuals in monumental ways. Working against the materials historical
associations, this sculpture depicts the villain or mass murder in an infantile
state of being. This is not to elevate the pseudo command, but rather question
whether nature or nurture could have changed the individual's actions. Ernest
Hemingway stated, "all things truly wicked start from innocence." The
statement implicates the murky depths of our subconscious. The work is a
response to the15 mass shootings of 2012. I am interested in the conflicted
complexity of human behavior. As social creatures, we combat reason versus
instinct. Through translating a human experience into the form of an animal,
we look at ourselves from another viewpoint. While the scale at 24.5" w x 18" h
x 25" d is small for public art, I see this as strength. Working against the
"bigger is better" mentality, viewers will dominate over the frail deer. Plus,
aesthetic impact has more to do with the content of the sculpture for me, than
monumental scale.
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2013
Alternates
Rules of Civility
Artist:
Kristin Garnant
Camanche, IA
Width: 6'(varies)
Height: 65"
Depth: 12"
Weight: 100 Ibs
Materials: Weather
proof Steel - Corten
Artist Statement:
This triptych consists of three abstract pieces
constructed of corten steel. Their subtle curves reveal
openings and recesses, the give and take of space, while
maintaining an upright dignity and powerful presence.
Sentries, speaking to the need of civility and compassion.
The piece can be displayed in a line, if space permits, or it
will fit on one 42" pad in a grouping.
Passion
Artist:
John Bannon
Chicago, IL
Width: 4'
Height: 16.5'
Depth: 6.5'
Weight: 300 lbs
Materials: 3" X 3" Welded
Aluminum Tubing and Lacquer
Artist Statement:
By presenting universal elements of visual
perception from an aesthetically unique point of
view, I work to create an experience that will
open the viewer's mind to inspiration and new
ways of thinking.