Creative Corridor Banners Unveiled

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Scott

The designs for the Main Street Creative Corridor banner competition were officially “unveiled” 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the parking deck at 2nd and Main streets as artists Stephano and Virmarie DePoyster who created the winning works are introduced.
Also speaking were Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, Downtown Partnership Executive Director Gabe Holmstrom, and Arkansas Arts Center Executive Director Todd Herman.

Funding for the two outside banners and lighting for all three comes from the private foundation ArtPlace. Funding for the middle banner comes from the Little Rock Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Sculpture Vulture: National Dog Day

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Scott

Today is National Dog Day. In celebration of that, today we shine the spotlight on two canine sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden.

First is Dan Glanz’s Boris. Commissioned in 2010 and unveiled in 2011, this is a likeness of Boris Kumpuris, the dog and companion of Mary and Dr. Dean Kumpuris.

Glanz captures the friendly and inquisitive nature of Boris in this work, which can be found in the Vogel Schwarz sculpture garden. Most weekends Boris can be seen with Dean as the two walk through Riverfront Park and the River Market. Boris explores and inspects the park along with Dean. Each year during the Sculpture at the River Market show, Boris visits with Dean and meets all the sculptors.

The sculpture was donated by longtime Kumpuris family friend Margaret Clark. She and her late husband Bill were two of the earliest supporters of sculpture along the Arkansas River. They donated another piece in honor of their grandchildren. A sculpture in memory of Bill was unveiled last year and stands in the wetlands park which bears his name.

A few yards from Boris is Ken Newman’s Forever Ready. It depicts a hunting dog waiting but poised to spring into action. The sculpture was donated by the Sculpture at the River Market committee in 2009.

Be a Part of Fountain Fest – Design Public Art for the Fountain

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Scott

Your public art installation proposal could put you at the center of this fall’s Fountain Fest, hosted by the Arkansas Arts Center Contemporaries. Submit your entry on the following pages so you can be in the running for this prestigious art installation in front of the Arkansas Arts Center. The winning artist’s name(s) will be included in publicity about this event, and there is a cash prize.

The AAC Contemporaries are seeking an artist or a group of artists to create a (temporary) art installation centered on or around the Carrie Remmel Dickinson fountain in front of the AAC. The selection process will be by jury.

Art Installation initial proposal shall include a written description of the project and a sketch (or more if needed). The written description can include a list of materials that will be used and ideas about execution. Deadline for initial proposal is September 11. Jury will narrow down the applicants to no more than the top four. The finalists will be notified by Wednesday September 18, letting them know that they have been selected to expand upon their proposal. Interviews with the finalists will follow. The artist or group which is selected will be notified by September 21.

The artist (or group of artists) who is selected as the winner will be awarded $1,000 to offset cost of materials and time.

Please feel free to visit the Carrie Remmel Dickinson fountain in person, for help with visualizing the size and scale for your proposed project. Click here for fountain dimensions and views

Artists may submit their proposal any time before September 11 via this form, including the written description of the idea and attaching a jpeg (300 dpi) of the proposal sketch, or may send a package via the US Post Office to Arkansas Arts Center Attn: Spencer Jansen PO Box 2137 Little Rock, AR 72203 containing a written description of the proposed idea along with sketch(es). All (postal) mailed entries must be received before September 11.

2015 marks the third annual Fountain Fest, an outdoor party around the Carrie Remmel Dickinson fountain hosted by the Arkansas Arts Center Contemporaries. Funds raised will go toward purchasing artwork and to fund Contemporaries projects that support the AAC.

The Contemporaries is an affiliate-membership group of the Arkansas Arts Center whose members are made up of young art enthusiasts who wish to expand their knowledge and appreciation of the arts.

Sculpture Vulture Sunday: J. G. Moore’s ABUNDANCE

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Scott

One of the newest sculptures installed in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden is J. G. Moore’s ABUNDANCE.

Here is the artist’s statement:

This garden bell depicts a pair of mourning doves with wild sunflowers. The piece is titled Abundance because it is about the fall season when the favorite food of the doves is plentiful and allows them to prepare for migration.

Doves are a universal theme for love and peace and the position of this pair speaks to the abundance of well being when two become united in common purpose. It is my desire to bring glory to God by making reminders and reflections of his beautiful creation. My sculptures are intended to be acts of worship.

At a distance, this sculpture can appear simple. It looks to be simply a bell on a curved post. But upon closer inspection, Moore’s intricate design is apparent. The bell is covered with sunflowers delicately cast. The birds atop the bell are nuzzling each other in a sense of affection and protection. This subtle and powerful piece reflects one of the wonders of art – to offer different perspectives at different distances and angles.

Moore has been working professionally in bronze for the last 19 years. After pursuing a 15 year teaching career as an art teacher – he holds an M. Ed in art education – for middle and high school students in conjunction with his sculpture career, James now devotes full time to his art. His award winning work is in private and public collections across the United States and Europe.

Sculpture Vulture: Ted Schaal’s OPEN WINDOW

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Scott

The newest sculptural installation in Riverfront Park is Ted Schaal’s Open Window. The piece won the 2013 Sculpture in the River Market public art monument commission.

Ted Schaal graduated from Colorado State University, class of 1992, with a BFA concentrating on fiber arts and sculpture. He has been working as an artist and craftsman in Loveland since 1993. Ted chooses to produce his work in bronze and stainless steel so that his pieces will withstand the harshest of natural elements and should last for many generations.

Between 1993 and 2005 Ted’s work focused on functional designs in the form of boxes, treasuries and reliquaries. You will find mountain scenes, native flowers and Art Deco inspired designs embellishing the intricately carved exterior. Some special pieces have hand-woven tapestries adorning the interior walls. “I sculpt functional forms that are designed to enhance the everyday experiences of the user by creating a special and sometimes sacred interaction with the personalized contents of each piece.”

In 2004, he began using his corrugated texture to create strong geometric vessel forms. They are non-functional purely decorative objects for the home. The final compositions are reminiscent of artifacts from antiquity, designed to raise questions about their origins as well as their implied functions.

Recently, Ted has been exploring strong geometric forms in combination with a primitive corrugated texture, smooth and polished surfaces. The goal is an interesting juxtaposition of materials and surface textures. Moving away from the utilitarian boxes and non-functional vessels of his past, Ted’s new work is purely sculptural emphasizing strong horizontal balance, tension, and negative space. Larger forms frame and direct the viewer toward a focal point or focal space. “Functional objects have size limitations whereas sculpture does not.”

Michael Warrick’s Mockingbird Tree wins Sculpture at the River Market competition

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Scott

Michael Warrick was the winner of the 2015 Sculpture at the River Market Public Art Monument Competition. His winning piece – Mockingbird Tree – will be installed at the corner of Chenal Parkway and Chenal Valley Drive.

Mockingbird Tree is a tree with bubble forms for foliage plus a pair of Arkansas’ state birds. It will be 18′ tall by 11′ wide by 7′ deep. The tree will be stainless steel and the mockingbirds will be bronze.

2015 Sculpture at the River Market this weekend!

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Scott

The 2015 Sculpture at the River Market Show & Sale runs Saturday and Sunday at the River Market pavilions. A preview party is tonight.

Over 700 sculptures will be displayed this weekend. They range in size from a few inches to over ten feet tall. Some are figurative, others are abstract. The sculptures run the gamut in materials from woods to stone to metals.

Tonight the events start at 6:30 with the Preview Party, followed by the Bronze & Brewskis Party from 8:30 to 10:30. Guests at the first party will have the chance to select the winner of a new outdoor sculpture commission.

Tomorrow the show runs from 9am to 5pm and is free. At 1pm and 3pm there will be Segway tours of the Riverfront Park Sculpture Promenade, which cost $25 to participate. At 2pm, a docent led tour of the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden is free.

Sunday, the show runs from 10am to 4pm. There will be a Segway tour at 1pm ($25 to participate) and a docent led tour of the Sculpture Garden at 2pm (free). From 11am to 3pm, several food trucks will be set up for visitors to the show and sale to purchase food.

At 3pm, there will be the presentation of the Peer Award, selected by the participating artists. Also at that time, the winner of the $60,000 Public Art Competition will be presented.

Participating artists for the 2015 Sculpture at the River Market Show and Sale are: