Monday, July 14, 2014
BENTONVILLE -- Users of the North Bentonville Trail soon will see the city's first public art installations.
Nathan Pierce's sculpture "SunKissed" will be installed at the Y intersection on the trail near the intersection of Northwest A Street and North Walton Boulevard. Ed Pennebaker's glass sculpture "Ozark Topography" will be located about 450 feet east of that, and Craig Gary's stone sculpture "PAC-Man" will be about another 450 feet east. All pieces will be on the north side of the trail, said Shelli Kerr, city planning manager.
Art Pieces
Three public art pieces will soon be coming to the North Bentonville Trail:
• “SunKissed” by Nathan Pierce. The bright, bursting lines of this sculpture echo the radiating spokes of the intersecting trails. Clearly visible from North Walton Boulevard, it provides a striking visual landmark for the North Trail system.
• “Ozarks Topography” by Ed Pennebaker. This multi-colored glass sculpture takes in its inspiration from the colors and textures of the surrounding bluffs, rock formations, creeks and the sky. By filtering and reflecting the light of the surrounding landscape, the sculpture will respond dynamically to varying weather conditions and seasonal color shifts throughout the year.
• “PAC-Man” by Craig Gary. This is a whimsical, 7-foot-tall striding figure fashioned from native Arkansas stone. This work provides an opportunity for historical and geological education.
Source: Bentonville Public Arts Advisory Committee
There isn't a timeline set for when installation will take place, but Kerr said she anticipates being within a month or two.
The Advertising and Promotions Committee approved to fund the three pieces for $15,000 at its meeting last week. Each one cost $5,000, said Kalene Griffith, Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau president and CEO.
The City Council approved the art pieces in June without discussion.
This is the first public arts project in Bentonville since the Public Arts Advisory Committee was formed in 2012.
The committee received more than 120 inquires about its call for proposals and received 14 proposals from artists across the country, according to a committee memo to the council.
The main goal is that the art would enhance the users' experience of the trail, said Dayton Castleman, public arts committee member.
The main criteria the committee looked at was artistic merit and context in which a piece would be placed, he said.
Castleman explained "Ozark Topography" was designed to accentuate and reflect the colors of the land, serving as "quotations of the Arkansas landscape."
"SunKissed" was chosen as a landmark piece and will be able to be seen from North Walton Boulevard, he said.
"That was a piece that was meant to be a splash piece, to catch your eye, to be iconic," he said.
"PAC-Man" reflects the notion of the Arkansas traveler. It will be placed in a small clearing near the tree line.
The North Bentonville Trail is a good location for the three pieces because of the number of people who use the trail and also because of its visible location, said David Wright, parks and recreation director.
The artwork will provide good photo opportunities, Wright said. Those photos may be posted on social media, spreading the exposure of the artwork.
Public art also may encourage visitors to stay a little longer in Bentonville, Wright added.
There is no set timeline for how long the pieces will be up, Castleman said. There is an initial one-year commitment followed by a re-evaluation.
Bigger cities began recognizing in the 1950s and 1960s how public art helped shape their identities, Castleman said, using Grand Rapids, Mich., and Chicago as examples.
"Typically, a healthy city is one that has a balance of different facets, and art is one of those," he said.
With Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art being the catalyst for the city's cultural renaissance, it made sense for the city to participate in the cultivation and development of its visual life, Castleman said.
These three pieces are only the beginning of public art in Bentonville, Griffith said.
There are plans to allocate $20,000 annually for public art in the Advertising and Promotion's budget, she said. There is also a list being created of other potential sites for public art.
NW News on 07/14/2014