2010 Salisbury Sculpture Show

markperry — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:38:21 -0500

Judging for the 2010 Salisbury Sculpture Show was conducted in late April by Jeff York. York is the Public Arts Administrator for the Town of Chapel Hill and the former Director of Public Art and Community Design for the N.C. Arts Council. York exclaims, “I was honored to be asked to judge the Salisbury Sculpture Show and discover “what’s outside” in downtown Salisbury.The variety of sculptural forms and materials represented in the show offers something for everyone to enjoy. I really liked the way the works were scattered around the downtown, some very noticeable on street corners and others in more intimate spaces waiting to be found. Together they make for a great way for people to discover all that Salisbury has to offer.” York notes that the cultural experience of the local event reflects that of a well-established sculptural exhibit. “For only its second year in existence, the quality of the artists’ entries speaks to a more mature venue. There are many outdoor shows around from which the artist can choose to exhibit and this show attracted artists from around the state and beyond.” York adds that in judging the show, art award selections are naturally subjective and concludes, “I hope you will enjoy viewing each sculpture and have fun debating with your fellow citizens, your favorites and theirs.” The following works have been selected to receive Best in Show Awards for their participation in the 2010 Salisbury Sculpture Show. Detailed comments from Jeff York accompany each piece highlighted below; a brief artist bio follows York’s comments on each piece.

Norvell Best in Show, Tumbling Toward the Sun by Gary Gresko

“The sculpture draws it strength through a series of contrasts. The ponderous, drum-like, weathered steel elements from which the sculpture is created should suggest something earth-bound, yet they seemingly float skyward and become lighter and more open as they rise. Still, there is a precarious balancing act going on. As the title suggests, they are tumbling up, but like a game of ‘jingo,’ at any moment they could topple over. The artist has also taken advantage of the play of light and shade of the concave and convex curves to create the sculpture anew upon each viewing.”

Gary Gresko, from Oriental, NC, states that his pieces represent many years of diversified work. He uses a broad range of materials and applications for both private and public art. Gresko imagines a world without creativity to be a “dull, drab existence void of excitement and passion,” and he hopes that his contributions will inspire, question, and evoke feelings that are within all of us. Gresko’s work includes free-standing and wall sculpture, as well as garden amenities and furniture. Examples of his commissioned work may be seen at Elon College and the Harbor at Oriental.

Second Place, The Burning by Paris Alexander

“Although somewhat static and heavy as the materials from which the sculpture was carved, I appreciated the craftsmanship and labor required of the artist to free the image from the stone. The rough solidity and verticality of the limestone hand contrasts well with the smooth, horizontal marble slab on which it is placed. There is a story being told by the two sides of the sculpture, but like an ancient monument recently unearthed, its meaning remains enigmatic.”

Paris Alexander was born and raised in New York City, but has lived in North Carolina for the past twenty-four years. He has shown work in group and solo shows at galleries, universities, and museums throughout the Southeast. His work is also found in numerous private and corporate collections including those of Duke University, Saks Fifth Avenue, SAS Institute, and those belonging to President Bill Clinton and to Senator Bob Dole. Alexander teaches both youth and adults in clay and stone sculpture. He piloted the first Adult Outreach Program for Artspace, working with men in recovery at the Healing Place of Wake County. In the words of Tom Grubb, Executive Director of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, “Though creating artwork with stone is a drastically labor intensive task, Paris Alexander is able to produce unique and beautiful forms with a classical and exuberant essence.”

Third Place, Tilt by Bill Wood

“A geometric-shaped, brightly-colored, singular form belies a complexity created through interplay of solid angles and open space within the sculpture. This sets up a figure/ground relationship that only fully reveals itself when the viewer transverses the sculpture. As one walks around the piece, different facets of solids and voids create an array of shapes out of the single form, which intentionally includes the ground shadow, which also changes its geometric shape depending on the time of day. The mirror-like surface of the reverse like-wise creates new geometries as the light accentuates one facet or another.”

A current resident of Fairfax, Virginia, Bill Wood studied art at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas and at the Kansas City Art Institute. He has exhibited throughout the East Coast and Midwest and has taught at Sculpture Resource Center in Glen Echo, Maryland. Wood says Tilt is another of his mirrored pieces that uses the reflection of the surrounding environment to at first glance, confuse the viewer, hopefully requiring the viewer to take a second look to clarify what is seen. At the same time, he says, the view framed by the opening in the piece and the reflected image allows Tilt to become part of the space it occupies.

Honorable Mention, Windows of Time by Dale McEntire

“The colorful shaped glass insets into the weathered steel create a contrast between the opaque and translucent elements. It reminded me of a three-dimensional stained-glass window. The flat front surface gives rise to a more aggressive, saw-toothed reverse side, where the glass elements recede into a shell-like space. The pod-like shape of the sculpture and the imagery on the glass elude to something alive and growing rather than just cold steel.”

This is Dale McEntire’s second year as an exhibitor in the Salisbury Sculpture Show. A native of Western North Carolina, McEntire has been involved in the visual arts since his training at Mercer University, and has continued to evolve as an artist through private studies in the U.S. and Europe, and through training at Penland School of Craft. McEntire’s interest in the spiritual essence of nature can be seen in his use of color and form. Windows of Time addresses the stages of life. Each opening contains a cast glass sculpture representing a time frame, and the overall steel form is influenced by the classic Vesica piscis form. McEntire produces both oil and pastel paintings as well as sculpture (stone, steel, glass, and bronze) out of his studio in Saluda, North Carolina. He is represented by galleries in Western North Carolina and the Southeast and is a member of Mountain Sculptors in Asheville, N.C. and Tri State Sculptors. McEntire teaches painting at a local community college.

Artists Page Updated

markperry — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:36:11 -0600

Having selected the participants in for the 2010-2011 Salisbury Sculpture Show, we are pleased to announce the addition of these talented artists and pictures of their works to the Artists Page. The pieces seen in the pictures will be installed in Salisbury, NC for the upcoming show, so check back often for more information!

Call for Entries 2010-2011

markperry — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:54:03 -0500

A successful initial run has built Salisbury’s reputation as a venue for First Class sculpture. The 2009 Sculpture Show drew coverage from UNC-TV and Our State Magazine as well as multiple local and regional media outlets.

Salisbury is a unique city with historic main street charm where public art is a mainstay in the city’s physical, cultural and economic pro-file. The Salisbury Sculpture Show provides an appealing venue for artists as it engages residents and visitors with different styles of art, generates citizen input, and cultivates art patrons for the community.

Selected pieces will be carefully sited to best enhance the sculptures’ visibility and accessibility.

Exhibiting artists will receive a stipend. In addition, three sculptures from the 2009 or 2010 selections will be purchased for the City of Salisbury's new Fiber to the Home Customer Service Center. A 25% commission on work sold during the show will help build funds for future public art projects.

Best in Show Winners Announced

markperry — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:27:18 -0500

Best of Show Awards were given on June 20, at the annual Salisbury Day of the Arts and Art on Easy Street Event. What perhaps was one of the hottest days of the summer did not diminish the audience’s appreciation of the 3 award-winning sculptors.

Judging for the awards was Joe Rowand, well-known art critic and 37-year owner with Somerhill Gallery, now located in Durham, NC. Mr. Rowand expressed his appreciation for each piece as well as their sensitive and contextual settings within Salisbury’s historic downtown.

In fact, what makes Salisbury’s sculpture show so unique and enjoyable is that each piece of sculpture has been uncannily placed as though it was selected specifically for the site. Such adept placements will be difficult to replicate with the next round of sculptures, yet they will open the door to new exciting possibilities with the sculpture still to come.

Congratulations to all of our 2009 exhibitors for their excellent work with special acknowledgement to our Best in Show winners:

Best in Show Award - $1500.00

Look Homeward, Angles
Robert Winkler, Asheville, NC

1st Runner-up - $750.00

Tecton #9
Don Green, Winston-Salem, NC

2nd Runner-up - $500.00

Pipeline
Jim Gallucci, Greensboro, NC

Sculpture Show featured on UNC-TV

markperry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:06:24 -0500

University of North Carolina Television featured the Salisbury Sculpture Show in a five minute segment that aired in June. The segment is part of the station's North Carolina Weekend program that "... takes viewers on a journey beyond black and white pictures and boring text descriptions and into the colorful sites and sounds of the story - giving them a firsthand look at what North Carolina has to offer."

» Watch the video here.

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2010 Salisbury Sculpture Show

Artists Page Updated

Call for Entries 2010-2011

Best in Show Winners Announced

Sculpture Show featured on UNC-TV