"Twirling Smile Flower" Installed In Mattis Park

 

Twirling Smile Flower by Don Lawler

The Public Art League proudly welcomes Twirling Smile Flower by Don Lawler (Stephensport, KY) to Mattis Park in Champaign.  The sculpture was created in 2020 and carved from Indiana limestone.  The piece is installed near the walking trail on the northwest side of the lake.

Residents of the area should be familiar with Don Lawler's work as he has exhibited a number of sculpures through our program.  At present, two of the sculptor's other works have been purchased through donations and are installed.  Ripples can be found in One Main Plaza and A New Leaf is installed in the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens at the Lake of Woods Forest Preserve.

Twirling Smile Flower was purchased by the Public Art League with a donation from Beth and Tod Satterthwaite.  Once PAL acquired the sculpture, the piece was donated to the Champaign Park District for installation in Mattis Park.  Beth and Tod have been fantastic supporters of the Public Art League program.  They have donated to purchase three sculptures.  In addition to Twirling Smile Flower, they donated to purchase Startled by Tim Summerville (installed in Scott Park in 2017) and Meshed by Dean Allen Bloedorn (installed in the Illinois terminal in 2017).

Thank you to Beth and Tod for their generous support of public art in our community.

Getting "Lost In Space" in Downtown Champaign

 

Lost In Space

by Judd Nelson (Wayzata, MN)

The Public Art League welcomes Lost In Space by artist Judd Nelson (Wayzata, MN) to Main Street in downtown Champaign.

The sculpture was created in 2015 and depicts three young women on cell phones.  The piece is constructed of heavy plate steel that is coated in transparent stains.

Of Lost In Space, the artist states: "The 3 teenage girls are typical of what I see happening in public places every day and everywhere.  It doesn’t matter what age or gender, when people gather in groups they tend to isolate themselves and zone into their smartphones.  This sculpture is a first in a series of life size figures that will be bolted to the sidewalks and bus stops throughout America.

An artist should create artwork that reflects our view of the world and the people that are living here in 2015.  This sculpture is making a strong statement of what I see and is a reflection on our society.  My sculptures are life size and the imagery is modern yet representational. The style is fluid and spontaneous, intent upon capturing movement and natural gestures that are typical of that person.  I have laser cut heavy plate steel and welded them together to form a 3 sided piece.  My goal is to have the viewer’s recognize and feel the alienation of people from one another."

The sculpture is the 92nd piece that has been installed through the Public Art League program.  A big thanks to Jos. Kuhn & Co. for the sponsorship of this piece.