"Uppercutted" Arrives in Westside Park

The Public Art League is proud to announce the installation of Uppercutted, a sculpture by Ted Sitting Crow Garner, Wednesday, October 23rd.  The Public Art League worked with The Champaign Park District to complete the installation on the south side of Westside Park at noon.  Uppercutted represents the 37th sculpture Public Art League has brought to the community, and its installation is possible thanks to the generous support of The Champaign Parks Foundation through The Michael Carragher Fund.

Sculptor Ted Sitting Crow Garner received his B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute, where he was also responsible for the proposal, development, and construction of a student gallery.  His works have earned acclaim from numerous cities and museums from across the country, and he has received major commissions from the City of Chicago, the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, the Chicago Children’s Museum, and the Field Museum of Natural History, to name a few.
  
His aim is to make art which combines the power and aesthetics of his Native American heritage (he is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Tribe, of Sihasapa and Minneconjou band affiliation) with modern techniques, theory, and materials.  He also draws inspiration from world art history, feeling that the incorporation of a broader perspective can result in a more profound examination of the world and our place in it.  With Upercutted, Garner wanted to create an evocation of surprise and shock.

"Stanchion" Arrives in Hazel Park!

The Public Art League is proud to announce the installation of Stanchion, a sculpture by Dan Perry of Waterloo, IA.  The Public Art League worked with the Champaign Park District to complete the installation at the corner of Neil Street and Bradley Avenue on Friday, October 18.  Stanchion represents the 36th sculpture the Public Art League has brought to the community, and its installation is possible thanks to the generous support of Barham Benefit Group.

Sculptor Dan Perry, M.F.A., is an instructor at University of Northern Iowa and co-supervisor of the Public Art Incubator in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He has exhibited work throughout the United States and has completed residencies in both Italy and Nebraska.  The imagery in his work is “an amalgamation of candid recollections and fabricated realities constructed in the guise of toys, props, architecture, and machines.”

In describing Stanchion, Perry states, “Constant exposure to films, music, folklore, science, and the events of the world around me influence my work as I attempt to recreate events sculpturally.  Stanchion is based in the notion of a portable landscape. By combining references to common building materials such as cinder blocks with the imagery of an idealistic cloud, I aim to explore the human desire to control our environment.”

For more information about this installation, please contact David Wilcoxen at 217.898.8263.  For more information about joining Public Art League, please visit our website.

"Fettle" Arrives on S. Neil

Public Art League is proud to announce the installation of Fettle, a sculpture by Luke W. Achterberg, Friday, September 20^th.  The sculpture was installed on the corner of Neil Street and Stadium Drive in Champaign.  Fettle represents the 35^th sculpture Public Art League has brought to the community, and its installation is possible thanks to the generous support of Champaign Telephone Company, and Michael & Connie Hosier.

Sculptor Luke W. Achterberg exhibits both indoor and outdoor work throughout the United States and Switzerland.  He obtained his M.F.A. from the University of Kentucky, where he also received the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture award from the International Sculpture Center.  Since that time, he has been teaching sculpture and ceramics at Morehead State University, and completing a residency at Art-St-Urban in Switzerland.  He maintains his studio in Lexington, Kentucky, where he recently completed a body of work for a solo exhibition with Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in New York City.

In describing Fettle, Achterberg states, “Street art versus fine art is a central theme for my work.  Being schooled as a fine artist sometimes comes into direct conflict with by blue-collar background and my association with underground and counter-culture movements.  Therefore, I seek balance, and I metaphorically express this in the work through the form and color of each piece.”

"C-U at the Movies" ...a Sculpture to Honor a Hometown Hero

Fifteen years ago, Urbana native and University of Illinois alum Roger Ebert started a film festival in Champaign-Urbana to share his love of film with the community, and share his community with those who loved film.  His passing was a great loss to all of those fortunate enough to have known him, but his memory lives on through his friends and family, the work of his wife Chaz, and the continuation of Ebertfest.  Today, Scott Anderson announced the kick-off of a new tribute to the hometown hero.
    
As head of the Roger Ebert Sculpture fundraising campaign, Scott Anderson presented its mission to commission and install a life-size bronze sculpture of Roger Ebert on the plaza outside the historic Virginia Theater, home of Ebertfest.  This fundraising campaign offers the citizens of our communities and movie fans everywhere an opportunity to share in celebrating Roger Ebert's contribution to the movie industry, the culture of Champaign-Urbana and some of the joy we have experienced in our own lives while watching films.  The sculpture will be a permanent memorial which will honor Ebert for both his career and his dedication to his roots. It will also honor him for his determination to press forward with Ebertfest in the face of huge medical challenges.

The sculpture will be created by artist Rick Harney of Bloomington, Illinois. It will be made of bronze and will be life size. It will depict Roger Ebert sitting in the middle of three theater seats displaying his signature "thumbs up" gesture.  Roger’s widow, Chaz Ebert, was unable to attend the press conference due to a scheduling conflict, however she has selected the composition of the sculpture and is providing the artist input to enable him to depict Roger at the stage of his life which she desires.

Many people and entities are contributing to this sculpture effort. These include the cities of Champaign and Urbana, the College of Media of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Champaign Park District, the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, and the Public Art League.  Together, they are hoping to raise approximately $125,000 for the commissioning, building, and installation of this sculpture.
 
One can make donations directly to the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois or through the web site: Ebertsculpture.org. The web site has more information concerning the formulation of the idea, Roger Ebert’s career, the artist’s bio, the sculpture itself and how to donate.

Support PAL at Upcoming Gemshow Roundtables!

A unique opportunity to support PAL while enjoying an evening out. Christopher's Fine Jewelry Design has graciously offered to donate $15 for every person who attends their upcoming Gemshow Roundtable to PAL. In addition, they will donate 10% of the sale price of all gems purchased by PAL supporters (just let them know that you would like your purchase to support PAL).

If you've never enjoyed this unique event before, here's what you can expect. Gem dealers from around the country are invited to bring their collection to a dinner party setting at Christopher's. On September 5-7,  Sherris Shank , a renowned gem carver, will bring over 200 carved, colored gemstones. You and a limited number of guests will be escorted to the gem room where the table will be set with flowers and refreshments. Each stone will be passed around the table allowing you to handle each and, if you love it, keep it at your place setting. At the end of the evening you will have the opportunity to purchase stones directly from the dealer and Christopher can do a quick sketch to show you how the stones might be incorporated into a custom piece of jewelry.

Shows last approximately 3 hours and there is no pressure to buy. The only expectation is that you have fun.

The cost for this special event is $15 and reservations are required. Call the store at 352-2415 and let them know which show you would like to attend and how many people you are bringing. Also, let them know you heard about this from PAL. This is a great date night or girls night out!

Shows are:
Thursday, September 5 at 6 PM
Friday, September 6 at  6  PM
and Saturday afternoon at 1 PM

The Shield of Chichen Itza Installed in Morrissey Park

Public Art League is proud to announce the installation of The Shield of Chichen Itza, a sculpture by James K. Johnson.  The sculpture was installed, with assistance from the Champaign Park District, on Wednesday, August 28^th in Morrissey Park, 1400 Windsor Road, Champaign.  The Shield of Chichen Itza represents the 34^th sculpture Public Art League has brought to the community, and its installation is possible thanks to the generous support of the Champaign Parks Foundation.

James K. Johnson, the sculptor of The Shield of Chichen Itza, is the former Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Eastern Illinois University.  He has received six grants from state and local institutions to develop glassblowing and bronze casting facilities and was selected as one of five sculptors to participate in a research project at the University of Costa Rica.  As an artist, he has participated in over 60 regional and national juried and invitational exhibitions, and completed numerous large scale outdoor sculptures in aluminum and cor-ten steel on exhibit in Kansas, Illinois, Arkansas, and Indiana.

In describing The Shield of Chichen Itza, Johnson states, “As a sculptor, I have always been concerned with creating works of art that cause the viewer to pause and reflect upon their surroundings and in doing so become more aware of the environment that they are passing through.   Each work of art that I have designed and fabricated is a reflection of past experiences that have shaped my life and the interest that I have in ancient cultures, especially the Mayans that used art as a means of understanding their place in the history of mankind.  Equally important has been my use of the arch as a means of transforming the viewer from a place and time of activity to one of calm and reflection.”

Sunder Planet Discovered!

The Public Art League is proud to announce the installation of Sunder Planet, a sculpture by Stephen Luecking of Chicago.  The sculpture was installed in the planter bed in the Orpheum Children’s Museum's parking plaza in downtown Champaign.  Sunder Planet represents the 33^rd sculpture the Public Art League has brought to the community, and its installation is possible thanks to the generous support of The Robeson Family Benefit Fund.

Stephen Luecking, the sculptor behind Sunder Planet, is a Professor at DePaul University’s School of Computing and spent 25 years in DePaul’s Department of Art and Art History.  During that time, he participated in nearly 150 exhibits, 20 of which were one-person shows.  He is the author of several articles, essays, and reviews which have appeared in national and international art journals, as well as the book Principles of Three-Dimensional Design: Objects, Space and Meaning.

With Sunder Planet, Luecking demonstrates “mathematical art”.  Instead of using the elegant symmetries of spherical polyhedrons to create a closed surface, he has made simple adjustments in the proportions of the polyhedrons to create a piece that breaks the symmetry and creates interacting masses and voids.  Yet at the same time, the piece retains much of the symmetry’s original appeal.