New Urbandale Art Park Shows Off Iowa Artists' Creativity

A news release from the city of Urbandale:

The wave of popularity in Art Parks with temporary public art collections continues in Urbandale with the grand opening of the new Urbandale Art Park.

Mayor Bob Andeweg and members of the City Council will join The Urbandale Public Art Committee in hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, August 20 at 6 p.m.

The Art Park is a permanent outdoor sculpture park with annually changing exhibits.  The Urbandale Public Art Committee recently oversaw the selection of three sculptures out of 18 offerings submitted by 10 different artists.  The three selected will be on display now through March 2014. Each artist received a $1,200 stipend for loaning the work for the exhibition time. 

Stipends for this years’ exhibit were sponsored by the Public Art Committee and by the Urbandale Public Library Foundation. Members of the community are invited to support future shows by sponsoring a sculpture either personally, for a business, or in honor of someone. Plaques recognizing the sponsorship will be placed by the sculpture for the year of display.

The three current installations include:

“Whirler”– by Bounnak Thammovong of Swisher, IA

An abstract representation of a maple tree seed pod.  He simply enjoyed watching the form as it twirled its way toward the ground in the fall.

“First Bloom” by Steve Huffman of Ottumwa, IA

Made of recycled metal and Painted Desert mica rock.  While the base depicts the earth, the bloom becomes the focal point.

“Interlace” – by Sarah Deppe of Cedar Falls, IA

Reminiscent of the natural structure of plants from microscopic to large trees, interlace hopes to show the connection between all things in our environment.  With an opening to allow visitors to enter, people are able to experience the engagement of the world around them that often goes unnoticed.

 A fourth installation, that of recent high school graduate Kyla Inderski, is being fabricated by a local Urbandale business, Quality Manufacturing, and is projected to be added to the Art Park in late summer.

“Speaking for the Urbandale Public Art Committee, we are so excited to have this forum to provide a public and changing art show to our community and to visitors,” said Janet Emerson, chair, Urbandale Public Art Committee

At the end of the current 10-month exhibition, the Public Art Committee may decide to purchase one or more of the pieces to add to the city’s permanent collection.

 With the exception of the sculpture that is owned by Urbandale High School, all sculptures are available for purchase.

 For more information on the sculptures, artists and the public art program, visithttp://www.urbandale.org/public-art-committee.cfm

For additional information please contact Jan Herke, Director of Parks and Recreation at the Parks and Recreation office 515-278-3963 orjherke@urbandale.org.