ST. GEORGE — Southern Utahns and visitors will soon notice new sculptures appearing in St. George. The 2016 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit by Art Around the Corner will be installed by April 9 in the downtown area with gala reception for its advent April 8.
“For me, these sculptures absolutely come alive, and I’m sure many people will have similar feelings,” said Stefanie Bevans, who has chaired Art Around the Corner for the last three years. “We’re proud and excited about the new pieces. Each has been through a jury selection, and that process has given us a great collection for 2016-2017.”
Each spring, Art Around the Corner brings the works of notable artists to St. George, installing them in accessible public areas.
This year’s show features works by several nationally-known artists, including Stanley Wanlass, Karen Crain and Chris Coleman.
Stanley Wanlass
Wanlass is an internationally recognized sculptor, painter, designer and hopeless romantic. He is also passionate about cars and is probably the most prolific and celebrated automotive sculptor living today. He creates detailed, sensuous depictions of man and machine in motion that he describes as “a tribute to the spirit, dignity and excellence of man.”
“The automobile is the only really new significant art form,” Wanlass said. “It revolutionized the world.”
For the 2016 exhibit, Wanlass has submitted “Flat Out,” a classic ‘32 Ford open-wheel racer, barreling towards the finish line.
Karen Crain
Crain, of Colorado, is known across the U.S. for her ability to capture complex emotions and tell a story.
“All my sculptures come from deep inside me. I fall in love with each one,” Crain said. “Often inspiration comes from how someone wears emotion on their body, or from some inner thought that needs to be expressed.”
Crain’s piece in the 2016 exhibit, entitled “Comforter,” is a mother kneeling and holding her blanket-shrouded child. It represents the fleeting moments, the healing touches and the bond of tenderness.
Chris Coleman
Coleman, who looks to provoke and inspire viewers of his eclectic, hard-to-categorize pieces, which include large and small-format abstract sculptures, fountains, bells, and what he calls gear-spheres.
His pieces are found in galleries, public settings, corporate installations and private collections around the American West and across the country. Coleman’s sculpture in this year’s show is “Tilled Field,” a silvery-smooth abstract representing the marriage of industry and nature.
Gala reception, art for sale
The 2016 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit will officially commence with the “Gala Reception” April 8 at the Dixie Academy Building, 86 S. Main St. The cost is $25 per person and may be purchased online.
Contributing artists will be honored, and the new collection unveiled.
Art Around the Corner is a nonprofit foundation working to enhance downtown St. George with captivating outdoor art. The Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the foundation’s flagship project, which each year selects around two dozen sculptures for temporary installation.
All pieces in the exhibit are for sale. Organizations and individuals can buy pieces for public or private installation. The foundation retains a portion of the proceeds, which in turn funds expansion of the city’s permanent sculpture collection.
Bevans said: “If you love a piece of art and want it to stay in St. George now is a crucial time to contact Art Around the Corner.”
Those interested in art purchases, please call Cindy Trueblood, director of sales and community relations, telephone 435-319-4505 or visit the Art Around the Corner website.
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