Kingsport’s 13th Annual Sculpture Walk is a Sight to See - Welcome

Kingsport’s 13^th Annual Sculpture Walk is a Sight to See

When the Office of Cultural Arts (OCA) put out a national call for artists for the show, artists all across the country responded.

“With an artist from New Jersey and an artist from Key West, Florida, we are proud that we can bring a diverse group of artists to exhibit in the show,” said Hannah Powell, Coordinator for the Cultural Arts program. “Our department strives to not only highlight the local talent that we have in the Kingsport area, but we also like to import various artists’ work to share diverse creativity with the community of Kingsport.”

This year, the OCA is bringing eight new sculptures to the downtown area of Kingsport. Two of the artists are new to the exhibition, while two of the artists have exhibited in Kingsport before.

“For those who really enjoyed C.R. Gray’s ‘Popsicles’ at the Kingsport Farmers Market, I’m sorry to report the sculpture has been replaced,” said Powell. “The good news is, it has been replaced by another one of the same artist’s treasures that is perfect for the market location: ‘Watermelons.’”

Jim Gallucci is also returning, this time bringing two arches, one at City Hall, “Monarch Migration,” and one on the corner of East Market and Commerce Street, “A Flock of Blackbirds.” Powell hopes that those visiting the art galleries like Cindy Saadeh, Suzanne Justis and Up Against the Wall will find his blackbirds arch to be a nice touch to the artistry found on Market Street.

New artist, Nathan Leslie, comes from North Carolina. Three of his sculptures can be found along the downtown strip of Broad Street. Two, “Family” and “Growth,” will be at the intersection with Main Street, and his third one, “Joy,” is a pop of color in the City Hall garden along Church Circle.

The other new artist is Mary Angers of New Jersey. Mary brings a sculpture called “Twisted” at Broad and Center Streets that resembles the line structure found in the Noland Plan for the city. Her second sculpture, “Timeless,” can be found on Broad Street at its intersection with New Street.

Though sculptures have been delivered and installed throughout the month of October, the official opening of the exhibition is October 23 with a reception at City Hall, 415 Broad Street. Shuttle rides to view the sculptures will begin at 10 a.m. Maps will also be provided for those who prefer to walk. Charlie Brouwer, guest juror, will be visiting to share his insight into the artwork he chose for show.

For more information on the Sculpture Walk, please visit www.EngageKingsport.com or call 423-392-8414.

Gallucci

The public is welcome to walk the Sculpture Walk at your own pace.

Map of the SW13 Sculptures with brief bios is available for download viewing HERE:

Sculpture Walk XIII map and brief bios-2 pages

The Office of Cultural Arts (OCA), part of the City of Kingsport, connects, coordinates and engages the public with a creative community. We operate the Renaissance Arts Center, the Farmer’s Market, the Kingsport Carousel, the Carousel Fine Craft Show, Kingsport Public Art Program, Engage Kingsport Performing Arts Series and a broad range of support to the area’s arts organizations. The OCA works in tandem with Engage Kingsport, Inc., the “Friends of the Cultural Arts” group, a private, volunteer-led 501(c)3 non-profit community organization.

About the City of Kingsport

Founded in 1917, the City of Kingsport (pop. 53,000) is located on the Tennessee-Virginia border at the crossroads of I-81 and I-26 near the geographic center of the eastern U.S. The city is widely known as a planned community, designed by renowned city planner John Nolen and wrapping around the foot of Bays Mountain – a 3,500-acre park, nature preserve, planetarium and observatory. Kingsport is recognized as an International Safe Community by the National Safety Council, a Healthier Tennessee community, and won the 2009 Harvard Innovations in American Government Award for its higher education initiatives. While many city names are duplicated throughout the U.S., there’s only one Kingsport – a fact that invokes community pride, known locally as the “Kingsport Spirit.”