Pam Remembered by Glenn Zweygardt

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Stainless Steel, Cast Bronze, Cast Glass, 82" × 47" × 30"

Commissioned, Head of Fountain in Sculpture Garden

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HOMETOWN:

Alfred Station, New York

FROM THE ARTIST:

"Finding ones place in a relationship with nature is the theme of my sculpture. While working with materials such as metal and stone, a relationship between nature and myself is formed. Further, I want to tell stories and comment on my collective life experience and my perception of a collective consciousness? Hopefully, these ideas and expressions will enter into human consciousness and the fourth dimension.

The theme of my sculpture is the placement of myself in relation to nature. While working in materials such as metal, stone and glass, I am telling three-dimensional stories that capture my life experiences immersed in my perception of a collective consciousness. It is my intention that these stories, spoken through an expression of form, texture and color, will enter into human consciousness and the fourth dimension.

Pam Remembered is a special sculpture commission that honors the late Pam Mathews who was the wife of the past president, David Potter, of Delta State University. The Sculpture Garden was her inspiration. I tried to incorporate her love of landscape painting into the sculpture while remembering her angelic smile and personality."


The works of Glenn Zweygardt are simultaneously ancient and contemporary. With his use of diverse materials - cast bronze, glass, iron, marble, stainless steel, stone and granite - he creates complex media sculptures that exemplify a master of the three dimensional form.

Zweygardt possesses an uncanny ability to fuse dissimilar elements and concepts, natural occurring and fabricated forms, into structures that command the attention if the observer. This interaction of artist, nature and technology has a unifying affect on the observer's imagery and psyche.

Duplication and relationship is a recurring theme found throughout Zweygardt's work. A carefully chosen stone, cast and duplicated in bronze, aluminum or steel becomes the basis of definite architectural themes that manifest in a range of sizes. Zweygardt's mastery of the building process along with his ability to create enormous works of art from materials of tremendous mass has gained him international recognition and membership to the Berman Group, a cooperative of sculptors whose collective work spans virtually the entire spectrum of possibilities of "traditional" modernist sculpture.

Kansas born, Zweygardt earned the BFA degree from Wichita State in 1967. He received the MFA from the Maryland Institute of Art in 1969 and is an emeritus Professor of Sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Zweygardt works independently in his immense workshop in Alfred Station, New York. Here his work continues to evolve-varied shapes and rich surfaces, transparent and dense forms, concept and technical relationships, personal and collective perceptions-into fine art of eminent legacy.

Ocular Device by Carl Billingsley

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Aluminum Steel, Concrete, 215" × 68" × 68"


HOMETOWN:

Ayden, North Carolina

FROM THE ARTIST:

"Almost all of my work is abstract, although the inspiration or reference for the work might be the human form, architecture, landscape or pure geometry, I use materials as directly as possible and am interested in the inherent qualities of the materials showing in my final work."

Lazarus and the Rich Man by Aaron Lee Benson

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Stoneware, 94" × 34" × 15"

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HOMETOWN:

Jackson, Tennessee

Working mainly in stoneware clay, Benson produces large-scale architectural forms, as well as figurative, narrative monoliths.

FROM THE ARTIST:

Lazarus and the Rich Man finds its context in one of the parables of Christ as he describes the afterlife. In the parable one man, the rich man, is very wealth and has obtained great status here on earth. The other, Lazarus, was a pauper here on earth. However, at death, the two men find their lives reversed. Lazarus is now found in contentment in the "bosom of Abraham"; while the rich man suffers in separation from God.

Two great issues arise in this parable that I have tried to deal with in the work. One is that in the parable Christ describes "a great gulf" that separates the parties and neither can "cross over" to the other. The second is that the rich man now longs for a single drop of water to satisfy his greatest desire. This is a great and troubling truth that often clarifies for humans the reality of the human experience. Our desires can often change drastically depending on our circumstances to make the mundane priceless and wealth of no consequence. In a world driven by wealth, economics and greed it is always important to remember the fleeting nature of all things.

The work continues to clarify my love affair with form, specifically the arch. I believe it to be the greatest single form developed by man. I continually use it in my work. This work is an upside down arch. Thus how truth is often turned upside down.

Guardian by Wayne Trapp

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Corten Steel, 156" × 46" × 52"

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HOMETOWN:

Vilas, North Carolina

FROM THE ARTIST:

"Space is a critical part of sculpture. If you agree that space exists and then break it apart by projecting into it, is that not a contradiction or a denial of the reality of space? How does one avoid the contradiction? Calder tried with his moving wires. Picasso tried with wire structures that one actually walks into--but they don't work. The moment you put anything into space you consume space and it no longer exists. Then again, there are Gabo's clear forms. They exist while giving the illusion of not consuming space. Perhaps that's the road to travel, but where does it lead? Perhaps it leads to 'nothingness' — just the mind imagining that something exists."

Equation to Intimacy by Marie C. T. Lentsch

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Stainless Steel, 120" × 50" 22"


HOMETOWN:

Waterloo, Iowa

FROM THE ARTIST:

"Creating is great....intimacy. I wanted to go vertical in this intimacy, from being a painter to being a sculptor, from a flat canvas of color to a shimmery vertical canvas of shiny steel. It was a seemingly simple step.

Give back the SKY!

I took a piece of chalk, kneeled down on the floor of the shop and I drew a circle around myself as far as I could reach. I wanted to know what my 20 (plus or minus) feet of diameter looked like, was the original wonder.

I found the arc of my existence, my aura, my energy field — this I just learned from my studies in Kundalini Yoga, seven years later!

I did some math and figured out the degrees and arc of this circle that my arm drew. I took two small squares of steel and rolled them into the same degree, and that is when the two sheets of steel began to dance.

I saw the invisible overlapping of the arcs of two circles and this is where this sculpture called Equation to Intimacy II began.

That space where these two circles arc and overlap — the two circles' intersection, where the centers touch…exactly.

In Sacred Geometry — Vesica Piscis. (I found this word later, too.) This almond, eye shaped space is called this. It is the space created. It is the common ground, the shared vision, between equals called: UNION.

Well, I was very interested in that! I often drew these two arc lines overlapping that make a kind of a fish, kind of a cradle, a sliver moon, in all my doodles, and I always fill the arc, the cradle with hand drawn stars — another of my favorite themes!

Then I took two sheets of 10 foot high stainless steel, with a cardboard cutout of this arc I drew on the ground. I took it and got it rolled. A man named Troy rolled it for me on this big roller; we eyeballed it, and then measured it with the cardboard pattern. Perfect!

Then, I cut two long strips of stainless steel and drew into them the pictographs of my heart. These 2 strips were to hold the piece together, but mainly they were to be like two gills — a place to breathe, to send breath up and down and between.

The messages were inscribed on these panels. Not conscious or obvious messages, just what came out of my drawing. With the fire of the plasma torch, I cut these in. It is good to have space to breathe, and to breathe together, in union.

I polished the surface so it would be full of energy, to be sourced at all times, and it gives it a holographic feel and a depth of fascination. It is smooth to the touch, it is irresistible sometimes.

Call it a vertical river of dancing light. A commitment to do the equation, each side must do their own part of this equation, but it is all complete; whether one is doing it with a pencil in long hand, or is lightning fast and can do it with a couple of symbols and letters. Like Einstein decanted, it always all adds up to union and it is about equality."

Bali Ho by Dan Johnson

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Colored Concrete, Steel, 103" × 25" × 20"

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HOMETOWN:

Alto Pass, Illinois

FROM THE ARTIST:

"The sail like structure represents the idea of travel. Just before building this sculpture my wife and I visited Bali, the Indonesian Hindu Island. The stacked concrete base is my attempt to relive the fun of childhood stacking. So with Bali Ho I mix the wonder of childhood play with the adventure of foreign travel."

Wind Harp by Wayne Trapp

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Stainless Steel, 144" × 77" × 48"

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HOMETOWN:

Vilas, North Carolina

FROM THE ARTIST:

"I have always believed that public sculpture should be both lyrical and serious. Ideally, it should offer hope and provide something for the viewer's imagination to play with. Art for me has to be fun. I feel that "Wind Harp" is an aesthetically pleasing form to admire yet it also represents a musical instrument. Although it makes no sound, one can imagine the tunes that could be played on it."

Sky Keeper by Glenn Zweygardt

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Cast Bronze, Cast Glass, Stone, 109" × 42" × 44"

CREATION DATE:

2010

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HOMETOWN:

Alfred Station, New York

FROM THE ARTIST:

"Sky Keeper is about relationships; the comparisons that can be made between species, family members, groupings and gatherings. Also, I enjoy vertical forms and the ways the ends can be developed. I enjoy working with earthen materials and the challenges of solidity and weight that come from granite, solid steel, cast glass and solid cast bronze. Further, I want to tell stories and comment on my collective life experience and perception of a collective consciousness."

Samuel's Altar by Shawn Morin

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

Mixed Granites, 71" × 32" × 32"

CREATION DATE:

2009

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HOMETOWN:

Weston, OH

STUDIO LOCATION:

Bowling Green, OH

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCULPTING?

28 years

WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MEDIUM?

A natural progression from marble and limestone and the lifelong of influence growing up in New Hampshire, "The Granite State."

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SELECTED PIECE DERIVE?

1 Samuel 7:12 in the Holy Bible

TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFTING THIS PIECE.

Fitting several separate pieces together in stone can be a bit challenging.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE?

I don't generally keep track of how long pieces take to complete.

HOW DO YOU WANT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AUDIENCE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK?

First from a purely visual experience, then from a conceptual experience.

WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR PIECE?

An appreciation of the material, the composition and the inspiration of the Biblical passage from which it is derived.

WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

Christop Spath, John Iserwood, Donald Davis, Isamu Nogouchi, Walter Duesenberry and Jesus Morales to name a few . . .

WHY DO YOU DO THE WORK YOU DO?

The task of every man is to find the work God has laid before him and to do that work faithfully.

WHERE DO YOU HAVE OTHER WORKS?

I have work in over 50 public and private collections around the country and in several shows currently.

HOW DO YOU FINANCE THE WORK THAT YOU DO?

The granite is donated and rest of the material comes out of my paycheck.

Shadow Cast by Davis Whitfield IV

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

8'h × 3'w × 2'd

CREATION DATE:

January 2011


HOMETOWN:

Mountain City, Tennessee

STUDIO LOCATION:

Mountain City, Tennessee

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCULPTING?

11 Years

WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MEDIUM?

As a result of a 3-dimensional design class (by Ron Koehler) I got my first exposure to sculpture and immediately fell in love.

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SELECTED PIECE DERIVE?

I often try to see things in life through a different set of eyes, objects that we encounter on a day-to-day basis ranging from living organisms to the machines and buildings we co-exist with. Often with a turn of the head, we see a blur of images, harsh straight lines, meddling into gentle, organic curves. This particular sculpture captures this exact moment, a shadow cast from a couple I noticed while walking on the beach. Their shadow elongated and abstracted along the shoreline.

TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFTING THIS PIECE.

The most challenging aspect of this piece was the clean-up as a result of the intricate in-sets that were included.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE?

About three weeks.

HOW DO YOU WANT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AUDIENCE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK?

With an open mind. I would like it to be viewed through a youthful lens.

WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR PIECE?

Honestly, I want the audience to take whatever they want out of the piece. I hesitate to speak on my inspiration for pieces as I want the viewer to have their own interpretation without it being swayed by my original purpose.

WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi, David Smith and of course, Wayne Trapp, my mentor.

WHY DO YOU DO THE WORK YOU DO?

Because I love it, I honestly wouldn't know what else to do!

WHERE DO YOU HAVE OTHER WORKS?

Chapel Hill, NC, Salisbury, NC, Boone, NC, Bristol, VA, Knoxville, TN, Oak Ridge, TN

HOW DO YOU FINANCE THE WORK THAT YOU DO?

These sculpture competitions allow me to purchase the raw materials for the next sculpture I make.

Eyes of the Storm by Bryan W. Massey

PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:

10' × 5' × 2'

CREATION DATE:

March 2008

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HOMETOWN:

Conway, AR

STUDIO LOCATION:

Conway, AR

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCULPTING?

32 Years

WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MEDIUM?

What got me into this particular medium was the challenge of manipulating the cold, flat, hard steel with fire and hammers and making it bend to the will of my creative vision.

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SELECTED PIECE DERIVE?

The inspiration for this selected piece derived from the tragedy of Hurricanes "Katrina" and "Rita." After such devastating loss of life and property, our country pooled together to assist those that needed it most. It's my contribution to the year 2005 which saw a record number of hurricanes that year.

TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFTING THIS PIECE.

The main challenge associated with crafting this piece was the amount of physical strength required to "muscle" the flat steel into curves and bends. Even with the use of fire, there still was the challenge to bend the steel while it was red hot and not to bend it as it cools because it could cause stress in the metal and crack.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE?

I usually don't count the hours anymore. I just work until it's finished, but I would say from start to finish, 6 - 8 weeks.

HOW DO YOU WANT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AUDIENCE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK?

I want the Sculpture Garden audience to look at my work and say to themselves "How did he do that?" I want them to read the title and see the abstract swirling affect of the hurricane and that the five rings represent the two major and three minor hurricanes of 2005.

WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR PIECE?

I hope that the audience takes away from my piece a greater appreciation for the men and women that work in this type of medium. I want them to reflect upon those that did lose everything and can appreciate what they have and treasure it.

WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

Other artists that inspire me are many, but the main four are: Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, Constantine Brancusi and Richard Hunt out of Chicago. Richard Hunt — because he was the first African American Sculptor that I became aware of and after contacting him, we became friends.

WHY DO YOU DO THE WORK YOU DO?

I do the work that I do because of my deep down belief that when God blesses you and gives you a certain talent, it's our responsibility to share it with others in a positive light. Besides, I love the challenge of looking at a tree stump, or a block of stone, or sheets of metal and turning them into works of art. Where other people just look at things, I see things.

WHERE DO YOU HAVE OTHER WORKS?

I have other works in several places around the US. I have work in Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, and one internationally, in Germany.

HOW DO YOU FINANCE THE WORK THAT YOU DO?

I finance the work that I do through my position as a Professor of Art at the University of Central Arkansas as well as through sales, commissions, and grants.

Start Paddling by Nathan S. Pierce

CREATION DATE:

2010

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HOMETOWN:

Cape Girardeau, MO

STUDIO LOCATION:

Cape Girardeau, MO

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCULPTING?

Five years.

WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MEDIUM?

Coming out of my undergraduate program at Southeast Missouri State, I was introduced to a new sculpture professor who encouraged me to try something new with my BFA project. Up until then, I was sculpting mostly from wood - probably because I was comfortable with that material coming from a construction background.

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SELECTED PIECE DERIVE?

My religion is nature and I spent a lot of time that summer canoeing up and down the rivers but at the same time I was also going through some personal struggles concerning where I was going in life, or was I going anywhere?

TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFTING THIS PIECE.

The challenge was self-discovery. This particular piece has a very personal narrative attached to it.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE?

Working on and off, a couple of months.

HOW DO YOU WANT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AUDIENCE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK?

As long as it makes people think, that's the point.

WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

One thing that does it for me is coming to installations at art programs like this one and being introduced to work that I may otherwise have never seen. I also draw from history. Mark DiSuvero and John Henry are definitely an inspiration to a young public artist like myself, and I enjoy the fact that they are still hands on with their work unlike a lot of artist that are out there today. That is something that definitely inspires me!

WHY DO YOU DO THE WORK YOU DO?

I'm looking for answers in life just like everyone else. These sculptures are my thought process.

WHERE DO YOU HAVE OTHER WORKS?

Oak Park Sculpture Walk, Oak Park, IL, SPACES Sculpture Trail Biennial, Huntsville, AL, Olathe Downtown Sculpture Exhibition, Olathe, KS, Wayne State College Sculpture Competition, Wayne, NE, Art in Motion, Missouri Valley College, Marshall, MO, Sculpture Walk 2011, Sioux Falls, SD, Public Art League, City of Champaign/Urbana, IL, Decatur Sculpture Walk, Decatur, IN

HOW DO YOU FINANCE THE WORK THAT YOU DO?

Unfortunately, sculpture doesn't pay all the bills, so I have a small construction business to help fund some of the larger sculptures and public art programs like this help fill in the blanks.

Two Flames by Shawn Morin

Piece Specifications:

Cast Bronze Cast Stainless Steel, Fabricated Steel

Creation Date:

2010

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Hometown:

Weston, OH

Studio Location:

Bowling Green, OH

How long have you been sculpting?

Over 30 years.

What got you into this medium?

Experimentation, personality and the material’s properties, longevity and working characteristics.

Where did the inspiration for this selected piece derive?

The original idea centered on the tri-unity of God, as there is another flame that was part of the initial piece, which was called Three Flames.

How long did it take you to complete this piece?

About a month.

How do you want the sculpture garden audience to look at your work?

Viewers come to a work of art with their own interpretation and understanding. It is my contention that the creation of artwork is not unlike the creation of the universe. I hope that when people see my work, they come to an understanding that both the creation and viewing of artwork is a highly spiritual experience and as such, can point us back to God and his creative qualities.

What other artists inspire you?

There are so many artists that inspire me. Renaissance artists, Modern Artists and Contemporary artists alike all play into my inspirational motivations.

Why do you do the work you do?

Compulsion! The creative person has no choice but to create. It is in their biological, chemical, psychological and spiritual makeup.

Where do you have other works?

Through the USA and South Korea.

How do you finance the work that you do?

Sales and commissions mostly.