MEDIA RELEASE

 

June 30, 2015

For information, contact Public Information / Community Representative Abby Shelton at 270-687-8557 or sheltonam@owensboro.org.

 

PUBLIC ART UNVEILING FRIDAY, JULY 3 AT CONVENTION CENTER

 

The Owensboro Board of Commissioners invites the community to a public art unveiling ceremony on Friday, July 3, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Owensboro at the Convention Center in conjunction with the opening of The Pier.  The unveiling will feature the fifth outdoor sculpture in the public art initiative, RIVERARTES:  The Art of Placemaking.  “Vertigo,” by Mark Chew, North Port, Florida is a stainless steel abstract sculpture of rough ground and highly polished surfaces.  It is located on the southeast corner of the Owensboro Convention Center.  The sculpture is placed by Big River Rubber and Gasket Co., neighbor of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art.

Chew, a prominent sculptor and professional engineer, is represented by public works featured across the country, including the municipal collections of Atlanta, Georgia and Sarasota, Florida.  Recent commissions include an international sculpture project at Texas Tech University and commissions by Marriott Hotels in New York City and Las Vegas Nevada.  His sculpture is created primarily in stainless steel, through cutting, welding and forming, and range in size from interior pedestal pieces to large outdoor works.  As an engineer, the constraints of his projects are incorporated into the design and consider public safety, minimization of maintenance, and functionality.  

“Vertigo” represents the third public artwork placed by Big River Rubber and Gasket Co.  A granite and marble medallion, created as a collaboration of Big River Rubber and Gasket and local artist Rex Robinson, was donated to the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden and was a memorial to the late Owensboro educator, Grant Talbott, IV.  A granite and marble memorial to Bill Monroe, also created in collaboration with Robinson, was a gift to the International Bluegrass Music Museum.  

RiverArtes, designed to celebrate the vitality of Owensboro and enhance its reputation as a cultural tourism destination, is a public enhancement project organized for the City of Owensboro by the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art.

 

For more information, visit www.owensboro.org.

 

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