It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Edina. For a much-needed moment of quiet contemplation, stroll through the Promenade and Grandview Square and take in the artworks selected by dedicated volunteers on the Edina Public Art Committee (EPAC). For the past three years, EPAC, a standing committee of the Edina Art Center Board, has sponsored a contest of sorts for local and regional artists to compete for public recognition, a cash stipend and the chance to have their sculptures displayed outdoors for one year.
This year’s Sculpture Walk features three works donated for permanent display (Three Trees by Kevin Komadina; Minn Eco Turtle by Kathy Gustafson; Time Piece by Dean Holzman), along with the 2009 and 2010 People’s Choice Award winners (first place winners were Gyr Family Cycle by Perci Chester and The Plunge by Deb Zeller). There are also seven new sculptures in contention for the 2011 People’s Choice Awards (voting ends September 30). Here is a firsthand look at five of the new sculptures on display throughout Edina.
Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed
Judd Nelson
At the encouragement of a friend, Judd Nelson entered Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed in the Edina Sculpture Walk. Nelson is best known for creating life-sized steel sculptures of North American wildlife with a fluid and spontaneous style, which captures the natural movements of the specific animals.
“I build in a three-dimensional manner, constantly rotating and welding, so the sculpture can be appreciated from every vantage point,” explains Nelson, who uses only salvaged and reclaimed steel in his designs.
“Less is more. It lets the viewer’s eyes fill in the shapes that appeal to them,” he says, noting that spectators are able to use their imaginations while looking through and into his sculptures.
Lissome.Q
Guy Bellaver
With a daughter and son-in-law based in Minneapolis, Guy Bellaver eagerly applied to this exhibition in Edina hoping for exposure and a chance to visit with his grandsons. Bellaver says Lissome.Q is a “meeting” of two different series of sculptures in his repertoire. “I did the first Lissome nearly 35 years ago… a representational figure in limestone about 12” high,” he recalls.
This piece, painted red to signify energy, is a combination of Bellaver’s Lissome and Quarks series, and explores movement through the human figure plus explosions of tiny particles of matter with pieces of wire and rod.
Raindrops
Dean Holzman
Dean Holzman is no stranger to the Edina art scene. His sundial-inspired work, Time Piece is on permanent display, fashioned from steel, aluminum, cedar and rocks. To create Raindrops, Holzman used 16-gauge box steel for the inner frame and 18-gauge sheet steel for the exterior. The steel was treated with a rust finish and sealed with a clear coating. Holzman says he draws on experience, including set construction for theatrical productions and furniture design and creation, as motivation. “Oftentimes one project or the materials from a project will inspire something in another,” he says.
Steelie Sphere
Perci Chester
Also a seasoned contender, Perci Chester won top honors in 2009 with her stainless steel piece Gyr Family Cycle, a reflection on youth, aging and the continuity of all life forms. She continued her work in steel this year and came up with Steelie Sphere, which is coated on the exterior with automotive paint. Chester says her inspiration was a feeling of joyful celebration, evident in the playful arrangement of the components of the piece.
Sunniva
James Gabbert
“I was meandering through a website looking for Latin names to use to title another sculpture when I came across the name ‘Sunniva,’” says Jim Gabbert.
The Scandinavian name signifies ‘a gift of the sun,’ and served as Gabbert’s inspiration for the sculpture of welded steel rod. “This is not my usual way of finding inspiration for a piece, but I take inspiration from wherever it happens to find me,” he says.
Gabbert took up sculpting after retiring from Gabberts Furniture in the Galleria and says he often walked along the Promenade, so the location seemed to be a perfect fit to showcase his new passion.
Transponder
Steve Elliot
Steve Elliot, an associate professor of art and the chair of the department of art and design at Wayne State College in NE, welded Transponder from stainless steel. The sculpture reflects the geometry and ever-changing patterns found in nature, and allows onlookers to discover a new meaning upon each viewing.
“I am interested in the ancillary relationship between nature and structural complexity, particularly relating to ‘free form’ architecture, where lines and shapes are approximated in order to physically construct intricate geometric structures,” says Elliot, who chose to participate in the Sculpture Walk because of the relatively close proximity to his Nebraska studio.
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To learn more about the Sculpture Walk and the Edina Public Art Committee visit this website.
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Seven new sculptures were selected for the 2011 Sculpture Walk.
- Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed by Judd Nelson, Wayzata, MN
- La Diva Moving by Rith Aizuss Migdal, Chicago, IL
- Lissome-Q by Guy J. Bellever, St. Charles, IL
- Raindrops by Dean Holzman, St. Paul, MN
- Steelie Sphere by Perci Chester, Minneapolis, MN
- Sunniva by James Gabbert, Eden Prairie, MN
- Transponder by Steve Elliot, Wayne, NE
