Category Archives: Public Art

Happy 2017 from the Sculpture Vulture

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Several of the sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden and Riverfront Park have figures which mimic a “1” and a “7.”

To celebrate the start of 2017, here is a look at Seventeen of them.  And stay tuned for the 10th Sculpture at the River Market Show and Sale on April 21-23, 2017!  Who knows, there could be some sculptures in that show that also have the “1” and “7” features.

Jane DeDecker's THE TIES THAT BIND

Jane DeDecker’s THE TIES THAT BIND

Kevin Box's DANCING PONY

Kevin Box’s DANCING PONY

Dale Rogers' RETRO TREES

Dale Rogers’ RETRO TREES

Kevin Kresse's BREAKING THE CYCLE

Kevin Kresse’s BREAKING THE CYCLE

Bryan Massey's THE JAZZ PLAYER

Bryan Massey’s THE JAZZ PLAYER

Casey Horn's TRANQUILITY

Casey Horn’s TRANQUILITY

Denny Haskew's FIRST GLANCE

Denny Haskew’s FIRST GLANCE

Kathleen Caricof's LET THE MUSIC PLAY

Kathleen Caricof’s LET THE MUSIC PLAY

Bryan Massey's UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT

Bryan Massey’s UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT

ROTARY PLAZA

ROTARY PLAZA

Michael Warrick's GROWN

Michael Warrick’s GROWN

Mark Leichliter's MEME

Mark Leichliter’s MEME

2017-talking

Lorri Acott’s TALKING TO MYSELF

Wayne Salge's SIZZLING SISTERS

Wayne Salge’s SIZZLING SISTERS

Laurel Peterson Gregory's BUNNY BUMP

Laurel Peterson Gregory’s BUNNY BUMP

Merle Randolph's SPACE RACE

Merle Randolph’s SPACE RACE

Jane DeDecker & Alyson Kinkade's IN THE WINGS

Jane DeDecker & Alyson Kinkade’s IN THE WINGS

Merry Christmas from the Sculpture Vulture

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Some of the sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden have donned their Santa hats to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

santa-boris

santa-wise

santa-forever

santa-owl

santa-patty

Creative Class 2016: Tod Switch

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cc16-switchTod Switch  has worked as an architectural photographer since 1991.  In that capacity, he has had many artistic experiences while traveling throughout the US and eighteen countries around the world.

Making the transition to the fine arts in 2010, he started by using what came naturally to him, visualization. He saw intrinsic beauty in found objects and transformed them into his own vision with the addition of metal, wood, and stone. Composition, form, and perspective, concepts he utilized daily with photography, are now put to use in his sculptural work.

His sculptures often combine different materials and fabrication processes. Many works are one of a kind or unique in a series.  He currently is working on a series of keyholes as well as a series of city blocks, which are a variety of wood blocks, laser etched with architectural images that I have taken from around the world. They will be capped with copper, bronze, brass, or nickel.

Tod has shown at Sculpture at the River Market.  In 2015, he won the Best of Show Award and in 2016 received an Award of Merit.  His temporary installation was chosen for the Arkansas Arts Center’s Fountain Fest in 2015, as well.  He has also taught seminars for the Arkansas Arts Council.

His goals in public art are to appeal to the largest audience and have them say, “I wish I would have thought of that,” and to produce site – specific works of art that will stand the test of time.

Mark Leichliter’s OVERCOME to be installed today

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Staff from the City of Little Rock Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Deltic Timber and Sculpture at the River Market, will install Mark Leichtliter’s Overcome, a 16-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture on a four foot base in the median of Chenal Parkway near St. Vincent Way.

The piece was purchased by Sculpture at the River Market with assistance from Deltic Timber to be enjoyed by the public as they travel through the area.  Iconic public art can serve as a landmark for residents, employees, and visitors.

Overcome depicts nine forms held together by lattice. They rise up and out of this bond to soar free. Each form is an arrow pointing skyward in continued aspiration for the greater good.

The installation is expected to take most of the day.  Each of the nine forms will be bolted into place and then pivoted into position, then the lattice will be installed around the bottom enshrouding the lower sections of the nine forms.

Leichliter has several other pieces located in Little Rock.

 

Creative Class 2016: Hunter Brown

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cc16-brownHunter Brown was born and raised in Little Rock. His mother was always painting and his father was always working with his hands building and creating. While he did not originally envision himself as an artist, he discovered sculpture as a student of the University of Central Arkansas. After graduating Hunter gradually built a design and sculpture studio, where he would continue to explore with sculptural forms. Today Hunter is the owner and operator of Innovative Sculpture Design Studio where he creates fine art full time, traveling throughout the country to fine art shows and festivals.

His work moves between the figurative and the abstract, modern and contemporary styles. While many sculptors fabricate their forms with flawless craftsmanship and machine-like precision, he chooses to exploit the natural characteristics of materials and the fabrication process. By experimenting with finishes, grind patterns, tool markings, welding techniques, and even slag from the torch, Hunter has developed a style that captures his process and leaves his imprint in the work.

Having installations throughout the U.S., Hunter was one of the artists in the 2016 Sculpture at the River Market show.  Year round his work can be found at the Matt McLeod Gallery.

Kevin Robb’s SERENADING THE CLOUDS to be installed today

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Looking UpStaff from the City of Little Rock Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Deltic Timber and Sculpture at the River Market, will install Kevin Robb’s Serenading the Clouds, a 19-foot-tall brushed stainless steel sculpture near the intersection of Rahling Road and St. Vincent Way.

The piece was purchased by Sculpture at the River Market with assistance from Deltic Timber to be enjoyed by the public as they travel through the area.  Iconic public art can serve as a landmark for residents, employees, and visitors.

Kevin Robb’s Serenading the Clouds is a unique design for him because it has an even number of components.  Four components take a special design to ensure the sculpture is strong and not repetitive, bringing the dynamics of space into the design that doesn’t come naturally.

The stainless steel is cut out and the individual components are welded together. When the components are 80% complete he then starts assembling them. The individual elements are hung from a crane system in his studio allowing them to turn, twist, raise, and move.  Once he is pleased with the direction of the components, they are marked, taken down, and cut into one another so they can be conjoined into a continuous piece.  It is never exact to the sketch, the sketch becomes the general idea, the creation happens in the studio.

Serenading the Clouds soars into the air at 19 feet and is 8 feet in width. It commands space and deals with the space around it with the strong, positive presence it displays. The brushed stainless steel finish catches the light in so many different ways.

Robb’s Playing Ball is located at the roundabout on Rebsamen Park Road at Riverfront Drive.

Happy Father’s Day with Rabbit Reach

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Cherry - Rabbit ReachToday is Father’s Day.  In honor of that, today’s Sculpture Vulture revisits Tim Cherry’s Rabbit Reach.  The sculpture was given in memory of two fathers.

The sculpture is a gift from Whitlow Wyatt and the Carey Cox Wyatt Charitable Foundation. It was given in memory of George Wyatt and Frank Kumpuris.  Those two gentlemen were the fathers of Whitlow Wyatt and Dean & Drew Kumpuris.

The sculpture is located at the corner of Sherman Street and President Clinton Avenue across from the Museum of Discovery.

Cherry’s sculpture was selected for this spot because of its proximity to children at the Museum and in the River Market district.  The design and size of the sculpture encourages children to climb on it and to play around the rabbit.

While some public art is situated so it cannot be touched, this one is situated to be touched as part of the appreciation experience.

Rabbit Reach received national publicity in 2015 when Melissa Joan Hart featured it on her social media while she was in Little Rock filming a movie.