Jan Kirsh Studio "Aubergine" Wins ARTsites 2015 Competition & Exhibit at Howard County Welcome Center

Ellicott City, MD (July 2, 2015) – A Jan Kirsh Studio sculpture titled “Aubergine” has won The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) ARTsites 2015 Competition & Exhibit at the Howard County Welcome Center located at 8267 Main Street Ellicott City, MD 21043.

ARTsites 2015 is a year-long, outdoor, public art exhibit from August 2015 – July 2016 that will take place at 13 sites throughout Howard County. The ARTsites panel selected the host sites and narrowed down the artwork submissions to 45 sculptures. The individual sites then selected the work to be installed at their location from among those finalists.

The goal of ARTsites 2015 is to place sculpture throughout Howard County in order to engage the community and enhance public spaces. The sculptures will create visual anchor points and increase community access to the arts. The multi-site exhibit will also serve as a visual celebration of HCAC’s more than 30 year history of fostering the arts and bringing the arts to community life.

Hand sculpted in oil-based clay, “Aubergine” was then cast in resin and finished with auto paint and clear coat, making it suitable for indoor or outdoor display. Rachelina Bonacci, CEO, Howard County Tourism & Promotion said Kirsh’s piece was ultimately chosen because it best met the criteria they were looking for; “We felt the eggplant was eye catching and exuberant in its form and color. The mix of shiny resin and contrasting wood base brings visual interest to the building. As a culinary and agriculture loving community, it will serve as a whimsical and welcoming symbol of the bountiful opportunities we have to offer to Howard County visitors.”

Kirsh, a Maryland-based sculptor and prominent landscape designer, takes her artistic cues from the garden, creating lively fruit and vegetable sculptures. Her work is currently on exhibit regionally at Bartlett Pear Inn, South Street Art Gallery and Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, and on the Eastern Shore of Virginia at Red Queen Gallery (Onancock), and Ellen Moore Gallery (Cape Charles). Kirsh’s “Tomato Partners” sculpture will be part of MD Art @ College Park, a Maryland Federation of Art summer exhibition which runs from June 19 to August 1, 2015..

ABOUT JAN KIRSH STUDIO (www.jankirsh.com)

Kirsh lives and works in concert with nature. Her extensive background and current practice as a noted landscape and garden designer has proven to be the perfect springboard when visualizing her sculpture – posing and placing each piece in her mind as she views the space. Trained in ceramics, sculpture, design and photography, she turned first to landscape design, fulfilling a desire to work within the parameters of her environs. For three decades, as a full-service residential and commercial landscape design and build firm, Jan has worked with discriminating clients to establish outdoor spaces that provide a respite from the sometimes hectic pace of life. Her projects combine skillful and artistic plant selections with astute use of hardscape and, often, her arresting garden art and sculptures to realize uniquely captivating outdoor spaces that are as appealing as they are functional.