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Celebrating Excellence and Commissioning Art for Schools
In the fall of 2017, the Waunakee Area Public Arts Committee (WAPAC) fundraised for the purpose of commissioning an artist to design, fabricate, and install a sculpture to champion the theme of “celebrating teachers, staff, students, and excellence in education.” The WAPAC wanted a public sculpture that would enhance a heavily trafficked public location and create an experience for all who gather there. The chosen site was the entrance to the high school because it hosts many community events and is where they could celebrate students of all ages. After narrowing the applications and hearing presentations facilitated by CODAworx from three highly qualified candidates, WAPAC selected California artist Michael Kalish.
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Manifesting the Spirits of Place: Sculptor Andy Scott’s Monumental Figures and Their Environments
She stands with one pair of arms outstretched, while a second pair arch gracefully behind her. She gathers up the streams of water flowing from the hem of her gown -- or do they actually flow from her body? “Arria,’’ the colossal statue created for Cumbernauld, Scotland by sculptor Andy Scott, beautifully exemplifies this artist’s life-long commitment to the classical tradition of sculpture and to giving modern communities a taste of what their ancestors often took for granted: an awe-inspiring public statue that is also a comforting visual anchor in the landscape.
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Capturing Movement: The Inspiration and Impact of Joe Gitterman’s Sculptural Work
The curve and sweep of Joe Gitterman’s sculptures reflect a lifelong fascination with the physical dynamics and emotional impact of dance. “I have always been passionate about dance performance. As an audience member, I am intrigued by the constant change of shapes and the seemingly endless variety of forms. My passion is trying to turn a fluid motion into a three-dimensional item.”
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Balancing Acts: The Cellular Sculptures of DeWitt Godfrey
“People who spend time with my work are amazed that they move slightly when touched- they are incredibly strong, but they are also surprisingly delicate.” Sculptor DeWitt Godfrey has spent his professional life fascinated by the physics and practical application of materials. The hallmark of his current sculptures are conical metal sections, which when multiplied and combined create works of placid organic beauty. These ovoid shapes give Godfrey’s work the uncanny ability to appear to change shape as light transforms their convex and concave surfaces. “My works arise out of a process in which I am always in touch with what the materials show me regarding what forms are possible.’ This is as true for the elements that make up the sculptures themselves as for the architectural structures and natural landscapes that are the settings for his commissions. Godfrey refers to this process as “form finding as opposed to form declaration.”
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Walter Gordinier’s Large-Scale Sculptures Imbue Their Sites with “An Invitation to Stay”
Today, with a repertoire of materials that includes stainless steel, corten steel, granite, concrete, cast glass, and his own invention of laminated structurally dynamic artist glass, Walter Gordinier’s capacity to pair his creations with their environs is nearly limitless. Drawn to designs that are “pure in form, distilled to their most essential gesture,” his sleek, streamlined works are designed to inspire imagination and allure to the urban plazas, healing gardens, and other sites he is commissioned to design and enhance with his site-specific sculptures.
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Sites of Visual Inquisitiveness: Mike Hansel’s Large-Scale Outdoor Metal Sculpture Invites Collaboration, Relatability, and Wonder
While Mike Hansel’s early works were likely to appear in museums and galleries, today his large-scale outdoor metal sculptures increasingly populate public—and decidedly accessible—sites. “People will say, ‘Wow! What’s that made of?’ or ‘How’d you get that to bend that way?’ and come up to touch them,” says the Rhode Island-based artist. “I like to listen, anonymously, to the comments people make. It’s a great way to hear honest appraisals of the work."
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Bronze Sculptor Jean Jacques Porret’s Intuitive Approach
Most of Jean Jacques Porret’s abstract contemporary sculptures begin with a simple sketch, even sometimes just a scribble. If the… Read More