SCULPTURE WALK – St. Joseph, MO.

For more information, contact:

Teresa Fankhauser, Executive Director, Allied Arts Council, 816-233-0231 or email:

teresa.fankhauser@stjoearts.org

Can you believe it, a year has already passed, and seventeen new sculptures are moving in. Last year was the first year for the St. Joseph Sculpture Walk, but with more sculptures, and more community awareness, the phone calls and messages are pouring in with questions about this year’s new sculptures

The St. Joseph Sculpture Walk not only enhances our natural and cultural environment, but also reflects our community values, diversifies our neighborhoods, enhances the richness of our history, and adds promise to the future of our community. By adding pieces of art to the downtown area, the walk also promotes the vitality of our public spaces, and adds enjoyment of art with the physical and mental health benefits of walking. When looking at a map of the Sculpture Walk, by starting at point 1, and ending at point 17, you will have walked just shy of a mile, almost 2,000 steps!

“The Sculpture Walk is important to our community because it adds culture to the area.  It is an interactive way for the individuals in the community to relate to a variety of interesting pieces of art on display.  It is a fun way for young people to develop an appreciation for art,” said Rhabecca Boerkircher Executive Director for the Downtown Partnership.

Last year the community truly embraced the addition of sculptures. Brian Myers and Amy Heath, owners of Lucky Tiger, joined in the fun at Halloween by turning the turtle sculpture “Poco a Poco Se Va Lejos” outside their business into Donatello. They also used the sculpture in their social media advertising as a way to offer discounts. This year downtown businesses asked for sculptures outside their store fronts in hopes of doing the same.

This year’s Sculpture Walk features two local artists. Local artist Mark Bush’s sculpture, “Scribble,” placed outside the Civic Arena, is a manipulative piece that involves the ability to use one’s hands and fingers with dexterity. “As I watch my oldest child at 18 months scribble his way through the first stage of childhood artistic development and know how important it is for him not only in hand eye coordination but also literacy, it caused me to question my own stages of development. I realized as a sculptor I never went through the scribbling stage of development and began to wonder how much better I could be if I would just crawl before I tried to run,” said Bush.

Bush, born in Kansas City, moved to St. Joseph to work towards his BFA with an emphasis in Sculpture and a BSE in Art Education at Missouri Western State University, graduating in 2015. Bush predominantly works in the sculpture medium, but incorporates painting into his sculpture work because of the great influence graffiti art has on his work.

Dan Ramming, a local art teacher with the St. Joseph School District, placed his sculpture “Reaching Skyward,” at its new temporary home at the corner of 8^th and Edmond this spring. Ramming was born and raised in Hinton, Oklahoma. “When I moved to St. Joseph more than twenty years ago, I was able to really learn about art for the first time,” said Ramming.

“’Reaching Skyward’ is meant to evoke a sense of growth and upward movement. Its form is reminiscent of a quartz crystal, much like the ones I had as a somewhat science obsessed child,” said Ramming.

The Sculpture Walk truly blends natural beauty, with our rich cultural heritage and beautiful, historic architecture. The mission of the Sculpture Walk is to be an important, national recognized platform for sculpture while educating and inspiring the St. Joseph community and its many visitors.

This project is made possible through the partnership with the City of St. Joseph and funding from the St. Joseph Downtown Community Improvement District, National Endowment for the Arts, and numerous sponsors. The Allied Arts Council invites you to the Opening Reception, June 12, 5-7 p.m., at the new Bourbon Street location, 620 Edmond St.  The reception, $15 per person or $25 per couple, includes appetizers provided by Bourbon Street and a cash bar, and is an opportunity for the public to meet the artists and to unveil this year’s sculptures. Please RSVP by Monday, June 8, 2015, to the Allied Arts Council at 816-233-0231, or ashley.jones@stjoearts.org.

For more information about the Sculpture Walk, please call 816-233-0231, or visit www.stjoearts.org.

 

The Allied Arts Council was organized in 1963 to provide service to St. Joseph area arts organizations, artists, and the general public. The Council has since grown into a federation of sixteen arts agencies and now produces community arts programs, raises funds, promotes public awareness, and provides service and support to its member agencies. The Allied Arts Council seeks to make St. Joseph a better place to live through the arts, and its mission is to provide leadership and support for the arts and to its member organizations.

Ashley Jones, Communications Director

Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph, MO

Ph. 816-233-0231

Fax 816-233-6704

www.stjoearts.org