Archive

Acclaimed artists from around the country will visit downtown Bristol, TN / VA, on October 8th, 2015, to install their winning sculptures in Art in Public Places' 2015-16 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. The five new sculptures selected to appear in the organization’s tenth annual exhibition are:

“Bear in a Tree” by Jim Collins of Signal Mountain, TN, to be installed at Anderson Park
“Cascade” by Robert Pulley of Columbus, IN, to be installed at Cumberland Square Park
“Earthen Dancer” by Glenn Zweygardt of Alfred Station, NY, to be installed on State Street near Tri-Summit Bank
“Icarus Stela, the Rise and Fall” by Paris Alexander of Raleigh, NC, to be installed at the Downtown Center
“Lullaby” by Scott Wallace of Hendricks, MN, to be installed at Bristol Public Library

Longtime sponsor Courtyard by Marriott of Bristol, Virginia, will graciously provide accommodations for the visiting sculptors this year. “Art and tourism are essentials aspects to every community,” says Keisha Gould, Director of Sales at Courtyard Marriott. “Particularly in the Tri-Cities, art and tourism have aided in attracting new talent and boosting economic development. When visitors come to our cities they instantly feel welcome and quickly become connected to our community as they see our past, our present, and our future on display through art. We are thrilled to see more artists dip into their soul and splash their inspirations into our cities!”

A record ninety-nine sculptures were submitted to Art in Public Places’ annual competition by fifty-four different artists.

"The selection of top pieces was difficult, but enjoyable," said Hank T. Foreman, this year's juror. Foreman is quite familiar with Art in Public Places, having served as juror for AiPP’s inaugural 2006 exhibition.

Foreman, an artist, administrator and educator, serves Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and Chief Communications Officer. He is also the Director and Chief Curator of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

The future looks bright for Art in Public Places, the organization behind two significant permanent sculptures placed downtown in 2014. Cam Collins, president of AiPP, stated that there has been an upswell of support in response to the permanent pieces. "We are so proud of the support we have received from our donors this year, and for the past ten years. Because of our local patrons, public art will continue to thrive in Bristol in the form of a dynamic yearly exhibit and more beautiful permanent pieces that we can welcome to the twin cities.”

AiPP has marked its anniversary year through a special collaboration with Kingsport Sculpture Walk. The two organizations are working together to establish the Appalachian Sculpture Trail. The goals of the Appalachian Sculpture Trail project are to promote the many public sculpture exhibits in the Northeast Tennessee / Southwest Virginia region and to establish connections among organizations bringing public sculpture to our area.

As part of this initiative, Art in Public Places and Kingsport Sculpture Walk combined their annual juried sculpture exhibitions for 2015, affording participating sculptors wider opportunities for placement in either downtown Kingsport or Bristol, TN / VA. In a nod to the anniversary, ten sculptures were selected in total this year, and five will be placed in each city.

Art in Public Places is a community art project organized and implemented by the Art in Public Places Board with the cooperation of the Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, city governments. Art in Public Places installs art in public spaces in Bristol for the enjoyment and enrichment of the community. Artists’ submissions are solicited from throughout the nation, and entries are judged by an expert juror, who is selected by the Art in Public Places Board of Directors, a volunteer group and 501c3 non-profit.

To learn more about the organization or donate to their initiative, visit AiPPBristol.org.

Bear in a Tree by Jim Collins
Cascade by Robert Pulley

Icarus Stela, the Rise and Fall by Paris Alexander

Lullaby by Scott Wallace