Edina Sculptures: More Than Meets the Eye

If you’re a walker—or even a driver—you may have noticed several new splashes of colorful, kinetic, modern and realistic art works showing up around Edina. This year’s sculpture installations are being placed the last two weeks of May and the first week in June in preparation for The 4th Annual Edina Sculpture Exhibition.

A reception open to the public for the artists will be Wednesday, June 20, from 5-7 p.m. at , 3849 Gallagher Dr., at the north end of Centennial Lakes. Voting for the 2012-2013 People’s Choice Awards [See more below] will start that day and end Sept. 30.

The process it takes to install these sculptures is more than meets the eye! Look at the accompanying photos and you will have a sense of the people and machine power required.

Most people have no idea what it takes to choose the artwork and move sculptures from the artists’ studios to their display spaces. They just enjoy walking by and seeing art. Let me fill you in. The work begins months before the delivery of artwork.

The actual choice of sculptures is made by the Edina Public Art Committee (EPAC) chaired by Lois Ring, Edina. EPAC is a committee of the Edina Art Center (EAC) Board. As I’ve mentioned in previous Edina Patch Blogs, I enjoy and consider it a privilege to serve on both EPAC and the EAC Board.

A call to sculptures via the media, emails and websites takes place in February and start coming in to the EAC in March. Members of EPAC meet in April to view photographs, drawings and mock ups of submitted art work. After consideration which includes discussion, opinion sharing, and judging the quality of art work, the number of available locations, how new pieces will fit with existing sculptures and only then is each sculpture carefully chosen. Then EPAC members start working on publicity for invitations, fliers and a ballot for the public to vote on The People’s Choice Award.

Michael Frey, Interim Director of the EAC, along with Ms. Ring, arrange schedules for installations combined with removal of previous year’s sculptures.  I'd have to mention the support of City employees like Larry Diekman, known as the "50th France Man" and Doug May at Centennial Lakes for helping with installations. Hat’s off to all the tremendous work they provide with the end result being a city known for it’s value and public display of art.

Thanks to the 50th & France Business Association, which is sponsoring three sculptures, we are expanding the sculpture exhibition to Edina’s downtown for the first time showcasing three art works.

The thousands of people who attend the Edina Art Fair in downtown Edina the first weekend in June will enjoy Intertwine by James Bearden, Des Moines, IA, a bold red dynamic modern sculpture of painted steel located at 50th Street next to the parking lot of Lund’s; Dancing Child by Roger Junk, Minneapolis, a playful little girl in bronze fittingly placed near the fountain on 50th Street and Spaulding by Heidi Hoy, St. Bonifacius, a bronze dog, placed near the Edina Grill on France Avenue. The playful pooch appears to be waiting for it’s owner sitting outside enjoying a glass of wine during one of our newly approved happy hours.

One of the challenges of having art on public display is that some people can’t resist adding their own ‘expression’ to a sculpture. Please do resist and don’t touch! Look at the art, enjoy it, talk about it, let us know what you think about it.

Most impressive was watching Bruce Stillman, Minnetrista, install Oxymoron at the north end of . Towering at over 12 feet high and weighting over 6,000 lbs. with a huge granite bolder as the base for four swinging stainless steel moving circles, Stillman gingerly maneuvered the pieces in place.

Over 10 years ago, he explained, he realized it was cheaper, easier and faster to have his own truck with a crane since most of his sculptures tend to be very large. He only needed the assistance of one of his staff, Al Soderstrom, who works at Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden, Minnetrista, which Stillman owns.

The process and the art piece drew a lot of “Oohs” and “I love it!” from passersby. It’s perfectly positioned at the junction of the ‘L’ shaped Promenade which runs east to York Avenue and north to West 70th Street.

At Grandview Square Park, Gyra by Tom Brewitz, Newport, a tall, geometric stainless steel, moving sculpture was installed. It contrasts with the existing two smaller pieces, the 2011-2012 People’s Choice Award winner, Sunniva: Gift from the Sun by James Gabbert, Eden Prairie and Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed by Judd Nelson, Wayzata.

People’s Choice Awards are given to the top three sculptures voted by the public with artists receiving $1,000, $750 and $500 funded by the City. Ballots will be located at each of the three sites. Only one vote is allowed per person.

I hope you enjoy viewing the sculptures, the new ones as well as existing pieces. And please don’t forget to vote for your favorite sculpture. We’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to become involved with EPAC or the EAC, please call the number below.  For those interested in supporting a sculpture being added to the cities’ permanent collection please contact EAC or a member of EPAC or the EAC board.

Copies of Edina Sculptures: The Promenade and Grandview Square Park, a photo book I self published (see my previous Edina Patch Blog) of all sculptures on display going back to 2006 are available at the EAC. Cost is $42.90 including tax. All proceeds go to EPAC and EAC.

4701 W. 64th St.
Edina, MN 55435
952-903-5780
ArtCenter@EdinaMN.gov

Websites featuring Edina’s sculptures can be found at EdinaPublicArt.org; EdinaArtCenter.com and EdinaMN.gov as well as Facebook.com/EdinaArtCenter.