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Art on the River 2016 Jury Selections Copyright 2014 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 4. ITEM TITLE: Art on the River Selections SUMMARY: Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission requesting City Council concurrence with the selection of artwork for the 2016 Art on the River Exhibition. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Concur ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Staff memo Staff Memo Jury Selections Supporting Documentation City of Dubuque ,Arts & cuauraCAffiatrS Advisory Commission April 11, 2016 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50W.13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 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 2016 Art on the River Exhibition. BACKGROUND The City is currently in the eleventh year of Art on the River. This exhibition exhibits work for the period of one year at the Port of Dubuque. The existing 2015 exhibit, will remain on display until June 2016. In March, the "Call to Artists"for the 2016-2017 Art on the River exhibit was sent to hundreds of artists, galleries, sculpture residencies, educational institutions, posted on regional and national online sources, and advertised locally. This year, there were 50 entries from 30 artists up from last year's 30 entries form 17 artists. The 2016 Art on the River exhibition will be installed in June 2016, replacing the pieces in the current exhibit. The opening reception is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at 5-7 p.m. at the Grand River Center which is free and open to the public. The Art on the River process is overseen by the Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator, Debra Alleyne, supported by the Art on the River Committee and the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission. The committee, comprised of artists, arts administrators and city staff, made recommendations that secured a blind jury process that is utilized to select artwork for the exhibition. This process involves selecting different jury members each year, typically one from the Dubuque area and two from out of the area. DISCUSSION The jury was asked to select the pieces according to their expertise while considering the following guidelines outlined in the application and stipulated by the commission and committee: • Artists can submit up to three works however a separate application form must be completed for each entry. • Sculpture must be original. • Sculpture must be suitable for outdoor display in adverse weather conditions - high winds, rain, intense heat, snow and freezing temperatures. • Sculptures will be located in high traffic areas with an unsupervised audience and must be soundly and professionally constructed of durable and safe components and require no maintenance during the display period. • Works must be appropriate for viewing by residents and visitors of all ages. • A work must be able to be installed on available sites, some in grassy areas, both sloping and flat, and on a limited number of concrete bases. The panel of three credentialed jurors reviewed the artist applications. In addition, this year, they were asked to include a presentation of their selections to the committee and commissioners. The jury and available members of the committee and commission met on Thursday April 7, at the Dubuque Museum of Art to view the selections and make any relevant inquiries. This year's esteemed jurors are: David Schmitz who currently serves as executive director of the Dubuque Museum of Art, a nationally-accredited regional art museum in Dubuque, Iowa focused on 20th century American art and artists connected to the tri-state region of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. As an arts administrator and museums professional, David Schmitz has been active in the arts community. Most recently, Schmitz served as a community resources specialist at the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, where he managed agency programming, initiatives and outreach supporting the development of the arts across Iowa. At the Des Moines Art Center, Schmitz managed a successful membership and individual giving program, engaging new audiences and utilizing the collections and exhibitions through member programming. At the Chicago Artists' Coalition, Schmitz managed the Chicago Art Open, then the city's largest juried survey of Chicago-area artists. Nationally, Schmitz has been recognized by and served as a scholarship review panelist for Americans for the Arts and has served as an alumni resident advisor for the National Young Arts Foundation. Schmitz holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from the University of Northern Iowa and earned a Master of Arts Management degree from Columbia College in Chicago. Gail Simpson is a sculptor and public artist who works on projects individually and as part of Actual Size Artworks, a collaborative team. She has an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis. Her public art projects can be seen in Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina, Illinois and other locations nationally. She has also exhibited temporary projects around the United States and Europe. Her recent projects reflect her interest in landscape materials and the natural environment and her involvement with local community issues. She resides in Stoughton, Wisconsin and teaches at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison. Leah Kolb Leah Kolb is associate curator at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Recent curatorial projects include Claire Stigliank Half-Sick of Shadows (May, 2016), Kim Schoen, Have You Never Let Someone Else Be Strong? (September 2015), Narayan Mahon: Lands in Limbo (December 2014), Jason Yi. A Fragile Permanence (June 2014), and I Dream Too Much: Paintings by Leslie Smith ill(2013). She has also worked with MMoCA director Stephen Fleischman on Eric and Heather ChanSchatz, 22nd Century(February 2015) and with senior curator Richard Axsorn on the travelling exhibition and accompanying catalogue raisonn6 Frank Stella Prints:A Retrospective (February, 2016). In partnership with Jason S. Yi, a Milwaukee-based artist and co- director of The Pitch Project, she is part of Plum Blossom Initiative, a collaborative endeavor aimed at providing emerging, Wisconsin-based artists with opportunities to professionally present their work and develop institutional recognition. Kolb, Yi, and artist Mat Greiner are also in the process of co-founding Project Bridge, a related program focused on forging a more interconnected arts community throughout the Midwest. The jury selected 10 works and two alternates. The attachment included provides information on each of the works of sculpture including the title, artist, and images of each work/ or renderings of the proposed sculpture. Detailed information including the artists resume, bio, artist statement and references have been evaluated by the jurors but are available for viewing on the FTP site due to its size here hftL)s://citvofdubuoue.sharefile.com/d-s05dOee9346c4446b Selections are in no particular order: 1. Tim Hawley: "Leaf Skeleton" 2. Scott Walace: "Domesticator" 3. J. Neil Lawley: "Dubuque Spatial" 4. Ashley Kyber: "Points of Light" 5. Michael Collins: "Watercraft" 6. Stephanie Sailer: "Awakening" 7. Andrew Arvanetes: "Two Wings and a Prayer" 8. Ben Pierce: "Unsure" 9. Kristin Garnant: "Fault Plane" 10. J. Karl Lipscomb: "Conventional Apparatus" Of the ten finalists, two are proposed Works. The jurors, based on the artists extensive resumes and compelling artists statements believe that these proposed pieces will be worthy of the exhibition. In the event that one of the finalists withdraw from the show we have selected 2 alternates that can be installed instead. 1. Guy Bellaver: "Prairie Song" (alternate 1) 2. Mike Sneller: "Onward" (alternate 2) RECOMMENDATION/ACTION STEP The Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator and the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission is recommending that the City Council accepts the jury vision and selection recommendations for the Art on the River 2016. Respectfully submitted, C Marina O'Rourke Chair of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission Attachment on the R ! 'SOci 2016 Jury Selections Artist #32 : Tires Hawley •�I1.� 1a./1 Hawley : " Leaf 1�1 ��A� ♦ ��ll I am a artist that has explored about every medium, I own 2 water jet /leu���%}Id) (h��:il\iI♦I�j/ machines that I use to create my art with. I use • high tech • drawingmonitor -�. '11.11 .,„r � •�� �1~�: 'i 1 •t I free • nd • • able to cut about any material. I have 2 t 1 IHS A) � •?1 �,�/� ,'yG,�• ii,41 fr. ,.,. aluminum leaf sculpturesthat displayed at the Milwaukee Art �►'�'►�►it iii ��iij' .'�';::'•,,n;�; ';; ;` i ;;':; I Museum. With this �1/ :fir.'•';� leaf sculpture `.Its►J ,. \i�/�1� �� �i,,1�%t/1� L going to take it to the next level and make it larger and thicker. I torch the leafs • make the sculpture - • • . as if it was moving in the wind. Dimensions Artist # 15 : Scott Wallace V " Domesticator" D• - •r" is inspired by • II relationship with a loving domestic pet. Dimensions f r 1 1 T-1"pi��l1N(6PPI. !110 � :. �— Artist # 19 : J . Nell Lawley Lawley : Dubuque Spatial My interests lie in the interrelatedness of things, across cultures, languages, and objects. These objects share similarities with forms related to biological processes, ; anatomy, succulent plants, cloud formations, and molecular orbital diagrams, but directly represent none of them. Acknowledging contradictions, tensions, transfers of energy, moments of stasis and entropy, my ambition is to create a cohesive 72.DO piece, giving the viewer a felt sense of form. I am interested in constructing smooth connections, exposing the making process and integrating the forms. Each intersection - °° captures a moment of decision-making. I 83.13 strive to invite the viewer into the forms, - - - - - --- 9231 - - - - - - - - - - 0.000.00 leading them to unexpected connections and configurations working together to compose a new identity. Artist #25 : Ashley Kyber Artist #26 : Michael Collins rt Collins : Watercraft J� Watercraft is a hybrid between a picnic table and a pontoon boat. By attaching the pontoons to the table, it convinces the viewer that they could go on an unconventional journey. It's a visual paradox, something that isn't supposed to move, characterized by being static and sedentary, is given freedom, suggesting an imagined _ leisurely journey. 1 Dimensions / 8ft Aft x10ft 500 lbs Artist #35 : Stephanie Sailer Sailer : "Awakening" Awakening depicts a seedpod unfurling new life. Tendrils are seen in a moment of unraveling, as they stretch and reach toward the sky after winter hibernation. Each tendril !' arches toward the sun, slowly shifting from I the hard protective shell to the vibrant air Ai above. As humans, we take part in this perpetual process, but never truly see the simplistic beauty around us. Awakening is an attempt to enlarge the beautiful form of a seedpod and this first stretch of life to a size that allows us to view, acknowledge, and appreciate. Dimensions 4 ft. x 8 ft. x 3 ft. 114 200 lbs. Artist # 14 : Andrew Arvanetes Arvanetes : "Two Wings and a Prayer" My sculptures have always been object- oriented and narrative in nature. The interpretation of my work may not be exactly the same as the intended narrative. More important, the viewer should be able to feel a connection based on their own personal experiences. I attempt to achieve this connection with my audience by utilizing universal visual details. The mechanical and architectural details utilized in my work have evolved into a personal language. These details and symbols combine with the overall form to create the visual aesthetic. Because dlxi of my formal approach to fabrication, rational functionality might be expected. On the contrary, the combination of physical scale, personal references and visual details often results in a whimsical and absurd reality. Dimensions 721/x 66"x 69" 300 lbs. Artist #2 : Ben Pierce Pierce : " Unsure" his work is a variation and continuation of a series I have been working on called the Balance series. The focus on this series is the viewer and how the are able to view the sculpture and look through the oculus. The idea is to create a sculpture that stands out. I _ achieve this with the illusion that the V sculpture is leaning or appearing unbalanced. This unnatural form catches the viewer of , l guard and captures their attention allowing them to look through the oculus. This gives the viewer the opportunity to maybe see something in their own community that they 1 _a may have otherwise overlooked. Dimensions ' 7 ft. x 12 ft. x3 ft. 400 lbs ,. Artist #4 : Kristen Garnant Garnant : " Fault Plane" Two large folds surround the opening, giving this piece the look of heavy metal origami. The bottom is demurely folded _ over itself. g Dimensions 18" x7' x23" 95 Ibs. Artist #24 : J . Karl Lipscomb Lipscomb : "Conventional Apparatus" Conventional Apparatus" came about from an exploration in to the possibilities of illustrating "aggression" nonverbally and P without the hackneyed, trite, or traditional iconic references to specific objects, i.e., guns, knives, specific military weapons. I wanted a piece that said "I am here, I am in charge, & I am a powerful being." Yet it was also important to present it as an archaic concept even though it still has seductive qualities (at least to some). The piece is shaped, formed and smoothed so that the major intersections are molded and blended into one another as almost human forms and the qualities of the surface scream to be touched. CA should be displayed where the viewer has £ the opportunity to observe at a distance and also approach to inspect close-hand, to touch the wood, discover its nuances, and enjoy the tactile smorgasbord. Dimensions 9 ft. x 4 ft. x 5 ft. 100 lbs. Alternates ....rim Guy Bellaver : "Prairie 3�.. Song" (Alternate 1 ) r Prairie Song.Q Y Prairie Song.Q is the 14th piece in the Quarks series. It is more organic than the earlier pieces and WILL BE painted a vibrant . yellow/green representing new growth/regrowth, with the red segments and L rod representing the energy of life on the Prairie, and the explosion of its growth in the spring. nT ,� . Dimensions 5 ft. x 8 ft. 4.25 ft. 300 lbs. Mike Sneller : "Onward" (Alternate 2 ) This piece is about progress, it is made up of pieces that move forward as they get bigger. FEE-�� �� Mini_ WE W WIN{ ;a ME M■ Dimensions " MIN 3.5 ft. x 10 ft. x 3 ft. 80 lbs.