2014 Art on the River Exhibition Artwork SelectionCity of Dubuque
.marts & Cultural _Affairs Advisory Commission
February 25, 2014
The Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Dubuque
50 W.13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Re: Approval of 2014 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 2014 Art on the River Competition.
Background
The City is currently in the eighth year of the Art on the River Program. The 2013 Exhibit,
consisting of works of sculpture in the Port of Dubuque, will be on display through June 2014.
In December, the "Call for Sculptors" for the 2014 -2015 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 83 entries from 53 artists from 20
states from Arizona to New York. The 2014 Art on the River Exhibition will be installed in June
2014, with the date for the opening event scheduled for Thursday, June 19, 2014, 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 2014 exhibition on February 24, 2014. Jurors for the
new exhibit are:
• Darrell Taylor, is an intermedia artist who holds BFA, MA, and MFA degrees from the
University of Iowa. His work has been shown nationally and internationally. Taylor is the
director of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Gallery of Art and overseer of the UNI
1
Permanent Art Collection. He served as the gallery's interim director before that
appointment, and has taught at UNI as an adjunct instructor in art. As the gallery
director, he is responsible for the planning, organizing, curating, publicizing, installing,
and fundraising of nine major art exhibitions each year as well as the training of student
staff. He also serves as a permanent member of the UNI Art and Architecture
Committee, which fields proposals and commissions work for the UNI Iowa Art in State
Buildings (AiSB) Program.
• Rebecca Ekstrand is an Iowa artist with over 25 years of experience in site - specific
public sculpture. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago and Sir
John Cass School of Fine Arts in London. Rebecca has worked on comprehensive
building projects that include art as an integral part of the architecture. Rebecca has
incorporated terra cotta tiles, terrazzo floors, and wrought iron railings and integrated
lighting systems as part of a comprehensive aesthetic to a structure site. In addition,
she has an extensive background in creating figurative works in bronze, stone and
formed steel.
• Mark Wahlert is the Executive Director for the Dubuque Museum of Art in Dubuque,
Iowa. He has nearly twenty -five years of experience working in the arts and museums
and has a M.A. from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in
Museum Studies. He has previously worked for the National Mississippi River Museum
& Aquarium in Dubuque, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American
History in Washington, D.C. and the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis. He currently
serves on the Art on the River committee in Dubuque and is an emeritus board member
and past vice president of the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society. He has also
previously served as commissioner and chair for the City of Dubuque's Arts & Cultural
Affairs Advisory Commission. Mark has juried several exhibitions and art fairs, most
recently having served as juror for the College Hill Art Festival in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in
2012 and the Naples (Florida) Art Association's New Year's Art Fair in January 2014.
The jury selected 10 works and three 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:
Break Away, by Beth Nybeck, Kansas City, MO
At the Water's Edge, by Zachary Bowman, Ankeny, IA
Fly Away Home, by Andrew Arvanetes, DeKalb, IL
Whirlette, by Bounnak Thammavong, Swisher, IA
In Between Sometimes, by Jason Scott, Prairie du Sac, WI
Portal for the Agrarian, by Greg Mueller, Spartanburg, SC
Currently Bronze Anvil, by Peter Flanary, Mineral Point, WI
Zodiac Totem 1, by Pokey Park, Tuscon, AZ
Time Warp, by Thomas Riefe, Davenport, IA
Journey, by Zach Schnock, Cedar Falls, IA
Alternate Selections:
2
Cherry Bomb, by John Anderson - Bricker, Dubuque, IA
Twist, by Mary Angers, Long Branch, NJ
King of Prairie Town, by Nicole Beck, Chicago, IL
The jury has also made recommendations on siting the works along the Riverwalk and at the
Grand River Center. Since none of the submitted works are suitable for Site #5, the large
grassy area east of the Grand River Center, the Jury recommended that the City contact artist
Jeff Boshart to inquire if he is willing to keep his work there an additional year. Interstellar
Naught by Jeff Boshart won the Best of Show award for the 2013 Exhibit. On February 25,
2014, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission voted unanimously to approve the
jury's selections of works of sculpture for the 2014 -2015 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 2014 Art on the River jury selections and recommendations for outdoor
sculpture at the Port of Dubuque.
Sincerely,
Ellen Henkels
Chairperson
Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
Attachment
3
Art the
River
2014
Jury Selections 10
Finalists
"Break Away"
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Artist:
Beth Nybeck
Kansas City, MO
Width: 4'
Height: 3'
Depth: 7'
Weight: 100Ibs
Materials: Stainless
Steel
Artist Statement:
There are moments throughout the course of life when one has an inner
calling to break away from the pack. Once someone has broken away they
have simultaneously embarked upon a journey that will be both beautiful
and terrifying. This sculpture embodies the rush and the confusion that
comes when one dares to run. The sculpture finds a balance between the
known and the unknown, while developing a rhythm and direction.
At Water's Edge
Artist:
Zachary
Bowman,
Ankeny Iowa
Width: 5'
Height: 9'
Depth: 7.5'
Weight: 400 Ibs
Materials:
Stainless and Mild
Steel, coated
penetrol
Artist Statement:
For this piece I was thinking about both land and water. Every place on earth
has one of these elements. What's different about Iowa is it's spectacular
resource of both land and water. Iowa has some of the best soil in world for
farming and according to Forbes.com Des Moines Iowa was ranked best on
their list of U.S. cities with the cleanest drinking water.
started to think about the animals that live in both of these areas (land and
water) and the most recognizable creatures I came up with was a bird and a
fish. I then extracted different shapes and elements from each subject to
come up with an abstract, representational sculpture for both land and water.
For example, the elements I like most on fish are fins, scales, and the overall
shape of the bodies. For birds I like beaks, feathers, and wings. Once the
viewer explores the piece they will find details that relate to the elements
mentioned above. Layering of metal represents scales, long swooping
pointed shapes represents beaks and or wings, the overall shape of the
sculpture is reminiscent of both a bird and a fish, the orientation of the piece
implies flight, so on and so forth.
By using simple shapes and extracting several elements from both birds and
fish I was able to create "At the Water's Edge ".
Artist:
1 Andrew Arvanetes,
1 DeKalb, IL
Width: 6.3'
Height: 10'6"
Depth: 4'3"
Weight: 700 Ibs
Materials: 10 gage
b Stainless Steel,
Welded
Fly Away Home
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Artist Statement:
Each of my sculptures can be described as a narrative, but they have
become more and more autobiographical in recent years. This piece,
as well as all others fabricated in recent years are of a personal nature,
expressing my thoughts and contemplations. "Fly Away Home"
reflects my current situation of being separated by time and many miles
from those dear to me.
Wh i riette
Artist:
1 Bounnak
Thammavong,
Swisher, IA
Width: 36"
Height: 96"
Depth: 36"
Weight:
Materials: 16g,10g, .375"
Steel, Automotive Paint (ppg
or equivalent)
Artist Statement:
A proposed sculpture inspired by the winged seeds of the maple tree in
autumn.
Whirlette simultaneously reminds us of the seed of a maple tree and the
undulating waves of the wind; as seen weaving through fallen leaves.
The seed is a promise of life yet to bloom; waiting patiently in decay.
The oxidized seed portion of the sculpture exemplifies the decay of the
husk.
In- Between Sometimes, 2014
Artist:
Jason Scott,
Prairie Du Sac, WI
Width: 8.5'
Height: 11'
Depth: 1'
Weight: 304 or 316 Alloy
Stainless Steel, 16 gauge
sheet ranging 5/8" round bar
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Artist Statement:
I am most interested in systems, both mechanical and organic,
especially the gray area in between the two. Science fiction that
has become science fact at an alarming rate in current times
informs my work. Interstellar discoveries in ancient civilizations,
such as Inca and Maya also heavily influence my aesthetics, as
attempt to craft relics from the future.
Portal for the Agrarian
Artist:
Greg Mueller,
Spartanburg, SC
Width: 7'
Height: 12"
Depth: 5'
Weight: 270 lbs
Materials: Re- claimed
agricultural tin roofing
and tractor seats,
fabricated steel, cast
iron, Velspar Industrial
Oxide Primer
Artist Statement:
A farmer in Southern Minnesota once told me "working the
fields wasn't boring; it was good thinking time ". Portal for
the Agrarian is a tangible reverence to the Corn Belt work
ethic of agriculture and industry. In my studio practice, I
transform selected and rescued agricultural and architectural
salvage into thematically unified forms. Although seemingly
disparate, both agrarian and sacred architecture are the
springboards for my architectonic compositions. Barns and
silos, like churches and mosques, act as cathedrals in the
landscape. My intention is to harmonize the faded and worn
into the semblance of a whole, using a direct process to
compare and consider entities not usually placed together.
By entering and activating the spaces, viewers may complete
the composition, inventing a function that follows form. To
convey a subtle sense of wonder and surprise is the intention
of every work.
Currently Anvil
lt�� /ye i° �.`y•h�`ttS=`t' i�•fo% s° k r F�4, °,��; '._. Artist:
Peter Flanary,
Mineral Point WI
Width: 7'
Height: 10'
Depth: 4'
Weight: 2500 lbs
Materials: Cast Bronze
3/8" throughout,
green /black patina,
No Permalac Lacquer
Artist Statement:
The artwork has been exhibited in my studio's outdoor exhibit space in
Mineral Point, but has not been in a public venue.
The inscription "do something differently" is the statement. I feel that
explanations may miss the point that the sculpture is first a poetic
entity. An " explanation" should be predicated with a warning, that as
soon as I say that the sculpture means "This ", that it may also mean
"That ". That said, the forms are kind of a symbol, in this case the anvil
and the star. Implied in these forms is a pairing and interaction of
gravity and levity, a celestial and terrestrial arrangement. The making
of something, the conscious mutability of matter, is the task at hand.
Zodiac Totem
Artists:
Pokey Park,
Tucson, AZ
Width: 26"
Height: 108"
Depth: 26"
Weight: 400 lbs
Materials: Bronze
Sculpture - Lost
Wax Process,
Patina and flowers
Artist Statement:
All the individual pieces have been cast as separate
sculptures. The animals represent 4 of the 12 zodiac
years found in the Chinese and Japanese calendars,
though I have replaced some with familiar Southwestern
animals: the wolf has replaced the dog, the javalina has
replaced the pig, the puma has replaced the tiger. For
the base, I began with carp swirling under a lily pad that
has a frog sitting on top. Pisces and Aquarius,
symbolizing water as necessary for all life, supports 12
animal years stacked on top.
Time Warp
Artist:
Tommy Riefe,
Davenport, IA
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Width: 88"
Height: 87"
Depth: 169"
Weight: 250 lbs
Materials: Welded 16
gauge stainless steel
1111 1 111'
A4+,ab!i air'�Y
Artist Statement:
When creating sculpture in my primary concern deals with the spatial
relationship between the object and the viewer. I am interested in creating
objects that are vehicles for observers to experience and re- imagine the
space around them. My sculpture matter often derives from astrological
events and natural phenomena, as I believe these subjects possess a
powerful aura that flutters between the subjects of transcendence and
scientific exploration.
The proposed piece "Time Warp" is currently being constructed through the
University of Northern Iowa Public Art Incubator, is an attempt to bridge the
gap between earth and the cosmos. The form of the sculpture derives from
the hypothetical astrological wormhole, which creates a tunnel that acts as a
"shortcut" through a large distance of space. Similarly, "Time Warp" is a
paraboloid that is being stretched between two different parts of space. The
piece expands rapidly at one mouth of the paraboloid creating a seven foot
spherical void that viewers can enter and experience the sensation of being
engulfed in a vortex. The opposing mouth is cantilevered in the air and
directed slightly upward eluding the form having extraterrestrial origin.
Journey
Artist:
Zach Schnock,
Cedar Falls, IA
Width: 38"
Height: 6'8"
Depth: 58"
Weight: 190 lbs
Materials: .090
gauge aluminum
Artist Statement:
This work accentuates multiple facets of Iowa's landscape and relates them to
ones own life journey. First, I digitally extracted water stream maps and used
areas of interest from both east and west edges of Iowa. I think the aesthetic
qualities of the streamlines also relate to direction, and where our life path
takes us. Second, these ideas are continued through the "V" shaped base
form, relating to a "fork in the road ". All of these conceptual facets bring
together a sense of movement, flow, balance and weight, all of which are
aspects we experience in our daily lives and beyond. This work was created at
the University of Northern Iowa through their Art Incubator project, which
helps artists and graduates by providing studio space to create a sculpture.
This has been a wonderful opportunity to be able to still create large -scale
work without a personal studio.
the
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2014
Alternates
Cherry Bomb
Artist:
John Anderson - Bricker,
Dubuque, IA
Width: 4.5'
Height: 10'
Depth: 4.5'
Weight: 300 lbs
Materials: Flat metal
Bar Stock, Round
Metal Rod, Sheet Metal
and Oil Based Paint
Finish
Artist Statement:
To be a metal sculptor means a desire to play with fire, literally. Thankfully,
my parents curbed my childhood fascination with fire before anything
serious occurred. Yet, as an adult, I experiment with its properties regularly
when cutting, shaping and joining metal. Fire and smoke inspire interest
because of its unpredictability, swirling patterns and ephemeral nature.
Cherry Bomb harkens back to my earliest desire to play with the safest of all
pyrotechnics, the smoke bomb.
The Single Twist
Artist:
Mary C. Angers,
Long Branch, NJ
Width: 2'
Height: 5 or 6'
Depth: 1'
Weight: 50 lbs
Materials: Various
Gauge Metals
Artist Statement:
The Single Twist is an attempt to look at what makes a line,
parallel lines, a shape or a plane start to curve, bend, turn or
twist. It is a handmade, rather than machine made, work. It is
involved not only with naturally occurring processes but also
mathematical ones.
King of Prairie Town
Artist:
Nicole Beck,
Chicago, IL
Width: 4'
Height: 11'
Depth: 3'
Weight: 1200 lbs
Materials: Welded Stainless
Steel, epoxied mosaic, solar
panels, outdoor grade-
stained glass lanterns,
outdoor LEDs, Enamel Paint,
Outdoor Grade Gel Battery
Artist Statement:
"King of Prairie Town ", c. Nicole Beck, 2012, riffs on a Frank
Lloyd Wright wooden partition screen from Kankakee's Bradley
House. The Bradley House is widely recognized as the first of
his "Prairie Style" homes. In my design, elements of the screen
have been pared away to reveal an armored knight intended to
be an abstract portrait of Wright as a "King of Architecture ".
The integrated lanterns are lit with low -watt LEDs and powered
by solar. I believe that the green energy utilized in "King"
would've been embraced by Wright in this day & age as his
architecture was designed to exist harmoniously with nature.