Category Archives: Public Art

Ted Schaal Receives 2013 Sculpture at the River Market Public Art Monument Commission

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Ted-Schaal-RenderingAt the recent “A Night in the Garden” party, guests chose the recipient of the third annual public art monument design competition.  The three finalists were Lorri Acott’s On the Shoulders of Giants, Mark Leichliter’s Through the Looking Glass and Ted Schaal’s Open Window.  At stake was a $60,000 commission and placement of the sculpture in Riverfront Park.

The winner was Schaal.

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.”

Ted publicly exhibits his work in galleries and juried exhibitions in Colorado, Arkansas, Kentucky, Kansas and Texas. He has established a collector base that stretches from New Hampshire to California and across the Oceans to Hawaii, Spain and Japan. His public placements include: The Compass Rose with Solstice Markers (2004) Washington University, St. Louis, MO. The Mirage Monument (2008) Cerritos Sculpture Garden, Cerritos, CA. The Mirage (2007) Sculpture Garden at Riverfront Park, Little Rock, AR.

A list of award winning exhibitions includes: “2005 Bacchus 4th Annual Juried Art Exhibition and Auction,” Denver CO. – Best of Show, 3D. “2005 Conifer Arts Festival,” Conifer CO. – Best of Show, Sculpture. “34th Annual CHUN Capitol Hill Peoples Fair,” Denver CO. – Best of Show, Sculpture. “7th Annual Colorado Arts Festival,” Denver CO. – Best in Show. “2005, 2006, 2007 Englewood Arts National Juried Art Show,” Englewood CO. “The 1993 Wood, Glass, Fiber, Metal and Clay Art Show,” Steamboat Springs CO. – First Place Hope Chest, Second Place Circle.

The 2011 recipient was Chapel for The Center.  Last year, Arkansan Bryan Massey won with Nautilus.

Sculpture Vulture: Jane DeDecker’s Patty Cake

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Patty CakeOne of the two newest sculptures to be located in Riverfront Park is Jane DeDecker’s Patty Cake.  This is one of two sculptures in the Nicholson Sculpture Plaza which was dedicated in September 2013.

Patty Cake depicts a mother with a child sitting on the mother’s knees.  The two are facing each other and playing the game which gives the sculpture its name.

This sculpture was donated by longtime KATV executive Dale Nicholson in memory of his wife Pat.

Part of Jane DeDecker’s artistic philosophy is her desire to select a moment to which everyone can relate on a personal level. These moments span all generations, depicting universal scenes. This may speak of the love between parent and child, the freedom of imagination, or the simple dignity of everyday tasks. Each is a timeless expression of the human experience, causing us to reflect and evaluate.

Award winning architect speaking Tuesday, October 15

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Kevin_McClurkanTuesday, October 15 at 6pm at the Arkansas Arts Center, award-winning architect and Arkansas native Kevin McClurkan, AIA, will make a presentation entitled THREADS: Ennead Architects’ Recent Works.  This is part of the monthly Architecture and Design Network lecture series.

A founding partner and management principal of  Ennead  Architects, New York-based architect Kevin McClurkan, has Arkansas roots and  continuing connections. An alumnus  of Pine Bluff High School, McClurkan earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where, in 1983, he received the Edward Durell Stone Award for Excellence in Design.

McClurkan has  continued to earn awards – a prestigious national American Institute of Architects Honor Awards among them. His  commitment  to design excellence, supported by  technical innovation,  is the hallmark of his work.  Little Rock’s William J.  Clinton Presidential Center; the Newseum/Freedom Forum Foundation World Headquarters, Washington D.C.; New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts  and  the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law are among the firm’s recent award-winning projects.

Ennead is the name of the firm formerly known as Polshek Partnership Architects. The firm’s  2010 renaming emphasizes  its identity as a group of architects rather than that of a single design leader.  The new name,  which means a group of nine,  reflects the democratic and collaborative culture of the partnership.

Currently working with Little Rock’s  Polk Stanley Wilcox on the redesign of the city’s  Robinson Auditorium, McClurkan  is a member of the  the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture’s Professional Advisory Board.  Of interest to the whole community,  his April talk is  free and open to the public.

For additional information, contact ardenetwork@icloud.com.

Envision Little Rock finalists part of 2nd Friday Art Night tonight

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envisinolrIn celebration of the 100 year anniversary of John Nolen’s 1913 “City in a Park” master plan for Little Rock, the Envision Little Rock design competition sought creative ideas for the establishment of an iconic gateway to the city at the intersection of Capitol Ave and I-30. In 1913, Nolen saw Capitol Avenue as the ceremonial boulevard that would transect the gridded streets of downtown Little Rock, establishing a visual and physical connection between the Capitol building and the proposed Choctaw Depot to the east. The competition challenged the public and professional design community to generate innovative concepts for the eastern terminus of Capitol Avenue in Little Rock.

Tonight, studioMAIN will open their exhibition of the competition finalists. The public is invited to come celebrate, discuss, and vote for your favorites. There are 3 public vote awards, in addition to the two main prizes that will be awarded by the Envision Little Rock jury later this month. Polls close August 31st at midnight.

Come see the wonderful group of entries by local designers and students. This is going to be a wonderful evening of big ideas and discussion of our city’s future. Don’t miss out!

studioMAIN is located at 1423 South Main Street.  The reception tonight is from 5pm to 9pm.  It is one of the participating sites in 2nd Friday Art Night.

Sculpture Vulture: Laughing Sally

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LaughingsallyToday’s Sculpture Vulture is Shelley Buonaiuto’s Laughing Sally.  It is located by the River Market Tower on Third Street in downtown Little Rock.

The sculpture was purchased at Sculpture at the River Market show and sale and installed in May 2009.  The plaque accompanying the sculpture says:

Here sits “Laughing Sally.”  May she make your day a little brighter!  A gift from River Market Tower LLC and Moses Tucker Real Estate to the Citizens of Little Rock.  May 2009.

Shelley Buonaiuto and her husband Michael are both artists.  They met while studying sculpture and painting at the University of Massachusetts.  They have also lived in New York and New Mexico.  A few years ago, they moved to Fayetteville where they reside today.  Shelley won “Best of Show” at the first Sculpture at the River Market for her sculpture “Wind.”  She spends several months a year producing new one-of-a-kind clay pieces and also takes commissions for portraits.

Sculpture Vulture: Eagle of the Rock

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IMG_6178With Independence Day a few days ago, it is appropriate to feature Eagle of the Rock in the Sculpture Vulture.

This was one of the original six sculptures placed in the River Market, back in November 2004.  Sculpted by Sandy Scott, it depicts an eagle taking flight from atop a craggy rock.  The eagle and rock are cast in bronze which is then set upon a limestone base. It is situated on President Clinton Avenue to the west of the entrance to Clinton Presidential Park.

The sculpture was donated by the Jennings Osborne family.  The sculpture and the surrounding area is known as Osborne Plaza.

Sculpture Vulture: Kevin Kresse’s Breaking the Cycle

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IMG_6022 The newest sculpture to be placed in Riverfront Park is Kevin Kresse’s Breaking the Cycle.  Is is located near the belvedere in the park (which is visible in the background of the photo below).

The sculpture depicts an older man (ostensibly a grandfather) being pushed in a wheelbarrow by a young boy.  The artist’s son, Roman, served as the model for the young boy.

Kresse’s piece was donated by Lisenne Rockefeller. Mrs. Rockefeller and Kresse have worked together before.  He sculpted the official bust of her late husband which is on display at the State Capitol.

In addition to this piece, Kresse’s art can be found throughout Little Rock, the state of Arkansas and the United States.

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