By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Woodlands Park in Perrysburg has been filling up this week, not just with strollers and runners and others enjoying the summer weather, but with artistic visions, both whimsical and serious.
On Saturday, Aug. 21, the Perrysburg Sculpture Walk opens with a party and reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m. featuring music by the Hepcat Revival. The 18 sculptures will remain on view until next August.
Robin Ballmer, who organized the exhibit through her business Main ART-ery, says this will be the first of a series of annual year-long sculpture exhibits.
The city, she noted, made an investment in Woodlands as a venue for sculpture by installing a dozen concrete pads for the art.
More than a decade ago, Ballmer organized another exhibit of large-scale sculpture in the city along the river. “People still remember that 2008 show.”
She worked with Sandy Latchem of the Perrysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau to stage this new exhibit.
Ballmer also consulted with Adrian, Michigan sculptor Ken Thompson.
Through his Sculpture Midwest Initiative, Thompson “blazed the trail” for these year-long sculpture exhibits, she said. Thompson is showing his “Illustrated Facts of Global Warming” and recommended the inclusion of “Oak Leaf Arch,” by Jim Gallucci of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Ballmer sent out 60 invitations to artists whose work, she knew. Then a panel of outside jurors selected a dozen artists from the 50 submissions. A change in concept led to expanding the number of works. In all, 15 artists are represented. That includes John Sauvé whose “Man in the City” pieces, one large and one small, have been lurking elsewhere in the city throughout the summer.
The sculpture walk features a mix of artists from the region and further afield. Artists come from North Carolina, Indiana, Colorado, New York, and Missouri. Ballmer wanted to feature sculptors who are familiar to local art lovers as well as sculptors who have never exhibited in the area.
“It was important to me,” Ballmer said, “that we had quality artwork – creative, durable relatable. Something for everybody, something for children, something for people that aren’t used to looking at art, something that would impress people who understand art and sculpture. Some of these works are amazing.”
Steel, in its various forms, is the predominant material, paired with other materials – concrete, clay, and glass. The outlier here is T.J. Aiken’s “57 Descending,” made with glass-fiber reinforced concrete panels. He reflects on the automobile’s place in American culture with a remix of Marcel Duchamp’s 1911 masterpiece “Nude Descending a Staircase.”
In “Nimrod,” Alex Mendez, of Decatur, Indiana, contemplates what ancient sculptors would have created if they had access to steel.
Not surprisingly several of the artists have industrial experience in working with steel.
They include Mike Sohikian, who was known as “Iron Mike’ in his 34 years as an ironworker. The Genoa-based artist has four works featured in the exhibit. “Veteran,” a tribute to those like himself who fought in the Vietnam War, has appeared in more than 20 shows since its creation in 2008.
The sculptures draw inspiration from a variety of sources. Monclova-based Pam Reithmeier found inspiration in children’s book artists Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss. Allen Williams, from Bradner, pays tribute to martyred activist and artist Isabel Cabanillas de la Torre. Glenn Zweygardt of Alfred Station, NY, used images from a Chinese Taoist temple in “Foo Dog,” which demonstrates his innovations in casting glass into metal forms. Mark Chatterly, Williamston, Michigan, reflects on immigration and attempts to wall out others.
Other artists included are:; Robert Garcia, Whitehouse; James Havens, Woodville; Greg Mendez, Decatur Indiana; Ben Pierce, Girardeau, Missouri; and Charles Pilkey, Mint Hill, North Carolina.
In addition to awards, one artist will be selected to do a one-week residency at Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo.
Beyond the celebration of art, the exhibit has another goal, Ballmer said. “We want to be a destination. It’s proven that the arts bring business.”
