Sunday Sculpture Series

Indian Rice Grass, sculpted by artist Kevin Shaffer is part of Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk.  This large sculpture is located on Chester Street at the back of Festival Plaza in Old Town Lafayette. 

This sculpture is from a series of oversize abstracted steel sculptures of native plants.  The inspiration for this piece comes from the native grasses that can be found in the grasslands around Lafayette and in eastern Colorado. 

This piece is 10 feet wide at the top and 16 feet tall, constructed of steel.  As with all the Art on the Street sculpture, this artwork is for sale; this one is $15,000.  For more information, or to purchase this art, contact the Public Art Committee. 

To view additional sculpture, look at the city webpage; and to vote for your favorite, go to the poll on this page.  The favorite artist will win the Jean Melblom People's Choice Award of $1000. 

Sunday Sculpture Series

The City of Lafayette Public Art Committee installed its third year of the Art on the Street Sculpture Walk at the end of May.  Sixteen sculpture were installed as part of this art on loan outdoor gallery.  I want to share our latest installations with you - we have a wide variety of work.  I shared last year's selection in a series of Sunday blog posts starting last November.  I will do the same again this year.  They are really better in person.  If you're local, come to Old Town Lafayette and take a walk to see for yourself.

While I don't have an absolute favorite, the first piece I want to introduce you to is Bruce Campbell's Peacock Goddess.  Campbell is a great local artist, with national acclaim.  His work is "recycled" and repurposed farm and other metal pieces. 

Utilizing salvaged industrial objects, Colorado artist Bruce Campbell merges painting and sculpture to create ancient contemporary artworks. The unique shapes and surface patinas, sculpted by time and weather, become an integral part of his imagery, which seemingly emerges from the intricately weathered surfaces.  Peacock Goddess is Campbell’s second work in Art on the Street.

The back of the piece is interesting as well, with a large peacock.  This piece sits on the lawn at Festival Plaza in Old Town Lafayette.  The Plaza is on Public Road at Chester Street.  It's a great gathering place, with park benches, a fountain, 4 pieces of art and the best sandwich and ice cream shop called Eats and Sweets. 

This work, and all the 16 pieces in the Art on the Street, are available for purchase.  This piece costs $20,000.  You may view the other 15 sculptures on the City of Lafayette website. 

Each of these sculpture is competing for a cash prize of $1,000.  If one of these sculptures is your favorite you can vote.  The poll can be found on the lower right of that page.  You can vote to support your favorite artist.

For more information, or to purchase this sculpture check out the Cultural Arts web page.  I hope you will enjoy my tour of Old Town Lafayette over the coming months.  I sure enjoy having this much art in my little community.

Sunday Sculpture Series - Finale

This little rabbit peeks out from behind the boy on the turtle.

Natural Wonder, by Michele Moushe Dale, is available for $12,900.  Part of Lafayette's Art on the Street rotating sculpture gallery.  Natural Wonder is made of bronze, it measures 2'7" x 1'6" x 1'10".  It currently sits in Festival Plaza, at the corner of Public Road and Chester Street in Old Town Lafayette.
Dale is from Wisconsin, but has studied art in Illinois and Virgina and her works sit in several collections around the country.  Whimsical details like the rabbit in the back, or the other animals around the piece, make this sculpture a fabulous storytelling piece.  This suclptures symbolizes the connections we all share with nature. Dale's hope it to express how each person can build a sensitivity to natural ecology and improve our world.
This piece won't remain in its location long.  The change over from the 2010-2011 to the 2011-2012 Art on the Street is happening in the next two weeks.  All the current 12 sculptures will be removed and returned to their artists.  We are fortunate enough to be able to expand our program, and will be installing 16 new sculptures for the next year-long rotation.
I can't wait to show you the next set of sculptures!

Sunday Sculpture Series

This piece, Sod Busters, is one of two final bronzes I will post from the 2010-2011 Art on the Street Sculpture walk in Lafayette, Colorado.  Local artist, William Tyree began his career in art after a full career in the field of engineering.  He began woodcarving and then moved into working in bronze.  He has been a bronze artist for 10 years.  Sod Busters took a year to carve from wood, and then another year to complete as a bronze sculpture. 

I find this piece so interesting, with its strong lines and element of power.  It is an historical piece for Lafayette, as well, as Lafayette was a farming and mining community in its early days.

Sod Busters, and the other 11 sculptures will be removed from their locations in the coming days.  They will be replaces with 16 new and exciting pieces as part of Lafayette's 2011-2012 Art on the Street.  I will be sure to share those pieces with you.

If you are interested in purchasing Sod Busters, or any one of our other pieces on display, you must act quickly.  Sod Busters costs $25,000 and can be purchased by contacting the Public Art Committee.

Sunday Sculpture Series

Within Reach, by Colette Pitcher is a bronze sculpture of a small bear cub.  Weighing 150 pounds and measuring 4' x 3', this bear sits on the corner of the intersection of Chester and Public Road.  We have seen drivers stopped at the adjacent stop sign, glance over and wave at this friendly cub.  Pitcher loves sculpting Colorado wildlife and this whimsical bear has his goal just within reach.

This piece is for sale for $7,900, contact the Lafayette Public Art Committee for purchase details.

Within Reach will be in place for just a few more weeks, before the rotation is made and the current sculptures are removed to make way for the next cycle of art on loan.

Sunday Sculpture Series



Sentinel in the snow. Photo by CA Crandall.






Sentinel, by Colorado artist Michael Hibner, is a 4' tall, by 4' wide composition of shapes.  Made of steel, this sculpture weighs 250 pounds.  His idea is to create a dynamic sculpture of form while exploring shapes, proportions, balance and scale.  I love the hard metal, the round of the circle, the openness at the top.  It would be a lovely garden focus. 

If you would like to see it in person, the sculpture sits on the NE corner of Public Road and Simpson Street.  You can take the whole tour of the sculptures before they are removed at the end of this month.  There are 12 that sit along Public Road in Old Town Lafayette, from Baseline Rd. to Kimbark St.



Ariel Dance

Hibner is a return artist.  His piece, Ariel Dance, was in the 2009-2010 Art on the Street Art Walk.

At the end of this month, Sentinel and the other 11 sculptures that are currently part of Lafayette's Art on the Street Art Walk will be replaced with 16 new sculptures on loan.  I will continue to profile each sculpture as part of my (sometimes) Sunday Series.

If you love one of the current pieces, they are all for sale.  Please contact the Lafayette Public Art Committee for purchase information.

Love at the Art Museum

We just returned from a fabulous trip to Florida - but I haven't sorted out those photos, yet.  Before we went, we spent a fabulous day at the Denver Art Museum.  It really is a great museum with a wonderful permanent collection of contemporary and modern art as well as an extensive collection of Native American Art. 

On this visit we were especially excited to see BLINK!  It's their new (and temporary) exhibit of digital and electronic art.  The exhibit was colorful and interactive.  And, was one of few temporary exhibits that allowed photography.  Catch it before it closes, on May 1.

We were greeted by a large singing goldfish.  She was quite a sight, projected on a giant screen complete with red velvet couches for viewing.

The show had a number of pieces that combined a new view with old "technology" like the wooden box TVs and clips from old TV shows and movies.  There were also a number of interactive pieces that were not complete with some human interaction - this made it a fun trip for the kids, as well. 

The girls strike a pose in front of the neon art installation.



Mary makes a heart, at the interactive light display.



No trip to the Denver Art Museum is complete without a cup of coffee at their Novo Coffee Shop. 

Coffee-love from DAM Novo Coffee.

Sunday Sculpture Series

(photo courtesy C.A. Crandall)

This functional sculpture, Great Blue Heron, was built by James G. Moore.  It s a bronze, stone and welded steel bell.  The piece weighs 3325 lbs. and stands 8 feet tall.  Moore's work blends a love nature, people and world cultures.  He enjoys making sculptures that appeal to the utility of craft but are fine in form, as well.  This bell is so beautiful.  it has great detail on both sides, depicting a great blue heron, a frog and other wild life.  The tone of the bell, when chimed, is deep and soothing.  The piece has great presence and sits on the south east corner of Festival Plaza at the intersection of Chester and Public in Old Town Lafayette. 
Part of the Art on the Street Sculpture walk, this piece and the other 11 in the collection will be on display until the end of May, when they are returned to the respective artists, or purchased by some lucky art patron.  In early June, the Lafayette Public Art Committee will install 16 new sculptures as part of our art on loan program.  For more information, or to purchase this sculpture ($18,150), check out the Art on the Street page at the city's website.

Sunday Sculpture Series

Photo provided by C.A. Crandall

Ripple, by artist Barbara Baer, is an aluminum and poly carbonate structure sitting 6' tall.  Baer uses a fascination with spatial design and interaction of materials and light to create this dynamic sculpture.  The forms were developed to contrast a geometric silhouette against an organic one.  The sculpture has the interesting quality of looking quite different from varying angles.  It certainly adds color and brightness to an otherwise dull city street corner.

Baer's sculpture sits on the north west corner of Public Road and Emma Street in Old Town Lafayette.  For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website. This piece, a part of the Art On the Street Sculpture Walk is available for purchase, $5,000.

Sunday Sculpture Series

Supernova, by Eric Ober is a 300 pound steel sculture.  This larger sculpture measurs 6'6" x 3'6" x 2' and sits in the courtyard at the corner of Public Road and Emma Street.

Photo courtesy C.A. Crandall

Ober uses his skills as a mechanical engineer to create sculptures that captivate the eye and appear to defy the bounds of physics.  He takes concepts and dreams and turns them into sculptural form.  This sculpture has the added distinction of being kinetic.  The large circle swings when gently pushed - and continues movement for a long time.  It is a contemplative piece with it's Zen like form.
For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website. This piece, a part of the Art On the Street Sculpture Walk is available for purchase, $5,000.

Sunday Sculpture Series

Early Peas, by Thomas Starr, is a sweet, little bronze sculpture.

Photo courtesy of C.A. Crandall

This sculpture is a tribute to his father who had a bountiful vegetable garden.  Starr's work uses figures and faces to explore emotions and tell stories.  This sculpture measures 2'8"x11"x9.5" and weighs 75 pounds.   Although small in size, this sculpture is filled with contemplation and thought.  It sits on the corner of Public Road and Cannon Street, in front of Cannon Mine Coffee House. 
Part of the 2010-2011 Art on the Street, this artwork is available for purchase for $5,400.  For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website.

Sunday Sculpture Series

Named Matriarchal Moon, This sculpture suggests dance, celebration and natural harmony. 

This nighttime shot captures the bright colors used on Matriarchal Moon.  Photo courtesy of C.A. Crandall.

This kinetic steel sculpture spins 15 feet above the ground, presenting a colorful moon for all to see.  Sculptor Reven Swanson hopes to speak for the universal woman and show a balance of the instinctual and modern day woman in this whimsical sculpture. 

Measuring 15'6" x 9'5" x 5', this steel sculpture weighs 50 pounds.


A daytime shot of Matriarchal Moon.

You may see Matriarchal Moon in person at the back of Festival Plaza, located at Public and Chester Roads in Old Town Lafayette.  This is one of 12 sculptures installed as part of the Art on the Street Sculpture Walk.  This work is available for purchase for $9,000.

Sunday Sculpture Series

This sweet, gangly dog, On the Rise, was sculpted by Colorado artist Louise Peterson.

photo courtesy C.A. Crandall

Peterson was inspired by her own Great Dane, Bella.  In the combination of animal form and movement, she captures the regal and goofy qualities of this breed.  This bronze sculpture measures 3'4" x 2'6" x 2' and weighs 140 pounds.  You may visit On the Rise at the corner of Baseline and Public Roads in front of Mojo Coffee in Old Town Lafayette.  For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website.  This work is available for purchase for $16,000.


Another, not snowy, view of this playful sculpture.





 This sculpture won the Jean Melblom People's Choice Award for the 2010-2011 Art on the Street.  Congratulations Ms. Peterson!

Sunday Sculpture Series

(Yes, I know, I am a day late.  Better late than never!)

This beautiful sculpture named Liv, was created by local artist Arabella Tattershall.  It is created from copper coated steel and stands 4'6" tall with a bottom diameter of 4'.  The pieces is designed with the intention of allowing plants to wind their way in and out of the open weave gown towards the leafy bodice of the dress.
Tattershall says of her work, "I am enamored with leaves. They keep falling into my pieces, as they would from a tree, and I accept their gifts of seasonal engagement in the guises of frailty, tenacity, color and shape."  
This piece sits in front of Embellishments, a boutique at 611 S. Public Road.  It is a nice complement to the 2010 Art on the Street Sculpture walk.  This pieces is available for purchase for $7,500.

(posted as part of Art Everyday Month)

Sunday Sculpture Series - Art Every Day #21

Ayse, by Belgin Yucelen (photo by C. A. Crandall)

Ayse is part of the Art on the Street Sculpture Walk.

This piece is a cast sand resin sculpture by Belgin Yucelen.  Ayse weighs 200 pounds and measures 3' x 2' x 3'4".  It is installed along Public Road in Old Town Lafayette, just south of Simpson Street.  She sits in the gardens in front of the Metro Brokers.

I like this larger than life quality that she embodies in this woman.  In her figurative work, Yucelen aims to reveal the beauty and the perfection of the human form. Her art is meant to stimulate the viewer’s imagination and reveal the peacefulness and the purity of the sculpture through the beauty of a woman’s body as it is created.

Old town Lafayette is a perfect place to celebrate Art Every Day.  There are 12 sculpture on loan installed in our sculpture walk as well as 5 additional permanent installations.  A brief stroll down Public Road will be sure to get your artistic ideas flowing.  In addition to the public art, there are several art galleries and antique shops.
For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website.  This work is available for purchase for $8,800.

Lafayette is a great place to be to celebrate art!

Sunday Sculpture Series

One of the great things about living in my small town of Lafayette, Colorado, is art.  While we aren't as artsy at Taos, New Mexico, or Telluride, Colorado, we are evolving to be an art oriented community.  It is great to be a member of this community during this metamorphosis from small town to town with an identity.

Last year the city started its Art on the Street Sculputre Walk.  We installed 8 sculptures as part of an art on-loan public art program.  This year we expanded our offering to 12 pieces.  Additionally, Lafayette owns 7 pieces as part of its permanent collection.  Not bad for such a little town. 

I want to take a moment to introduce you to the art in our town.
Today's sculpture was created by Lafayette artist, J. Lucas Loeffler. Part of the permanent collection, Sky Dance is one of four sculptures installed at Festival Plaza in the heart of Old Town Lafayette. It was part of the first year of Art on the Street.  It won the People's Choice Award and was donated by the artist to the city.

This bronze piece is beautiful and has fine attention to detail.   Loeffler says, "Years ago I was privileged enough to witness what is referred to as a Ghost Dance - a Native American Ceremony which exhibits many dancers in various forms. The dancer that most fascinated me was the Eagle Dancer. To anyone not present, it would be hard to believe what happened next. The Eagle Dancer seemed to become one with the flame, take flight and vanish into the night sky. This image was a driving inspiration to create this body of work."

J. Lucas Loeffler was born in 1972 on the east coast and moved to Boulder in 1976. At an early age, Lucas showed interest in many disciplines; however, sculpture was the one that suited him most.  After high school, Lucas started his own company while simultaneously pursuing his sculpting career. He cast his first bronze pieces at the age of 26. That same year he was accepted into a gallery in Santa Fe, who would sell his first sculpture to a museum in Germany. Since then, he has been in many ongoing exhibits, both private and public. Lucas has established the drive and creativity needed to pursue his dreams and still runs the company he started many years ago while consistently sculpting new pieces.

I hope you enjoy the first installment of my Lafayette art tour.  If you're in town, take a tour for yourself and enjoy the art around town.