The City of Winter Haven has again joined with the Polk Museum of Art to bring ten outstanding outdoor sculptures to Central Park for 2007. The sculptures will be installed during the weeks of March 5th – 16th. The exhibition will officially open at the “Central Park Stroll” event scheduled for Thursday, April, 5 in late afternoon.
The sculptures will remain on display until February of next year. Of the 20 artists selected (ten for each city), 15 of them are new to the Competition and will be exhibiting their work in Polk County for the first time.
The Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition is a joint project of the Cities of Lakeland and Winter Haven and Polk Museum of Art. Entries were due by December 31, 2006. The selection was made by a committee of 19 people that included representatives from the Museum, both Cities, and the communities in general. Twenty pieces were chosen from the 104 submitted by 53 artists representing 22 states and Canada. Best of Show, 2nd Place, and Honorable Mention prizes will be awarded in each City and will be chosen this year by Glen Gentele, Director of Laumier Sculpture Park in Saint Louis, Missouri.
“Columns” by Michael Chiarello of Bridgehampton, NY, is one of ten sculptures that will reside in Winter Haven’s downtown Central Park from March 2007 to February 2008.
See all sculptures to be installed: http://www.winterhavenfl.com/business_info/photo_gallery/26/show
Come back and tell us about your favorite …
It’s difficult to select a favorite – they are all beautiful! Winter Haven is fortunate to have city government support for this wonderful now-annual addition to our cultural experience.
All of the sculptures are amazing but “Janine” is my favorite. I will look forward to viewing all of the sculptures on display in beautiful downtown Winter Haven this spring.
What will happen to the existing sculptures?
I know they’re meant to move on to a new location, but Chris Fennel’s ‘Barn Wave’ is made from local materials and thus has a local connection. I’d love to see that piece remain in the area.
For those not familiar with this piece, here is a photo:
http://flickr.com/photos/hyku/116733931/
This is my favorite piece also, and I actually checked with the museum on the cost of purchasing it from the artist. Unfortunately, the cost of disassembly and re-assembly is quite expensive, I think it was at least $10,000 for that, maybe more. Anyone interested can contact Todd Behrens at the PMOA.
The sculptures displayed for the past year will return to the artists who created them. The City of Winter Haven has acquired the Split Ring (Best of Show 06-07) sculpture for permanent display. Photo here:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/392056931_c742047639.jpg
I have enjoyed the pieces this year and especially look forward to seeing ‘Orb’ at sunset. Whoever is responsible for organizing the display(s), Bravo!