The City of Roanoke and the Roanoke Arts Commission has announced the purchase of a permanent work of art and a temporary art exhibit for Elmwood Park. The temporary art is the second exhibition of its kind to be displayed on the Art Walk.
With the generous support of Downtown Roanoke Inc., the RAC purchased Descending Night by Jack Howard Potter as a permanent sculpture for the park. Potter’s work was a citizen favorite as measured by votes received in the People’s Choice Award from the first exhibition on the art walk.
In May, nine new sculptures will be installed on the Art Walk. Addressing the theme “City in Motion,” the works will be on display for 18 months. During Festival in the Park, May 26-28, viewers will have a chance to vote on their favorite piece, and the winning artist will receive a People’s Choice Award. To vote, citizens may go to www.facebook.com/artinroanoke or look for the Roanoke Arts Commission tent at Festival in the Park.
According to Arts Commission Chair Greg Webster, “We chose the theme because Roanoke was born out of transportation and continues to be on the move. Downtown revitalization has led to a renaissance over the last 25 years, and downtown living has increased dramatically. With the recently announced expansion of the Virginia Tech Medical School and Research Institute, and several craft breweries moving to the area, the City of Roanoke is on the move, and the art in Elmwood should reflect that motion.”
A selection panel of citizens and city representatives reviewed 93 entries from 51 artists to narrow down the exhibition to the following works:
- Lee Badger of Hedgeville WV– Sow Above, So Below
- David Boyajian of New Fairfield CT – Fiddlehead
- Jim Collins of Signal Mt. TN – Hill Climb
- Tom Holmes of Greeley PA– Edge of Decision
- Jordan Parah of Greeneville NC – Moonlight
- Jim Respess of Charlottesville VA – Shugoweh I
- Dmitrii Volkov of St. Petersburg Russia – One Day in the City
- Richard Whitehill of Earleysville, VA – Birds
- Glenn Zweygardt of Alfred Station NY – Brave New World
According to Susan Jennings, Arts and Culture Coordinator for the city, this is the fourth AIR (Art in Roanoke) exhibition and the first to use Otocast, a free downloadable app where users can tour the exhibition and hear the artists speak about their work.
For more information, or to obtain images of the works, please contact Susan Jennings, Arts and Culture coordinator at [email protected]
