WCU issues sculpture contest call for artists
Western Carolina University is seeking applications for the 2010 Outdoor Sculpture Competition, in conjunction with the university’s celebration of five years of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The contest is open to artists over the age of 18 working in the Southeast, and it is free to apply. Five winners will receive a one-year exhibit on Western Carolina’s campus and a $2,000 honorarium. A reception, inauguration and awards ceremony to honor recipients will be held Friday, Oct. 22.
The Outdoor Sculpture Competition is part of WCU’s public art master plan, a program of art location, requirements and process that reflects the history and identity of the campus and community, said Denise Drury, curatorial specialist with WCU’s Fine Art Museum. “Through this competition, we aim to enhance our students’ education by fostering an atmosphere of inquiry and discovery by intentionally planting thought-provoking artworks,” Drury said.
A selection committee will choose five works to exhibit on the FAPAC sculpture lawn. It is specifically seeking intimate works that will fit five predetermined locations on the lawn. The selection committee will include Robert Kehrberg, dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts; Martin DeWitt, founding director of the Fine Art Museum; Marya Roland, head of the sculpture area for the School of Art and Design; Kevin Kirkpatrick, museum studio technician for the Fine Art Museum; and Drury.
Western Carolina’s Fine and Performing Art Center opened in October 2005 with a performance by comedian Jay Leno. A semiformal gala featuring red carpets, bright lights, gallery openings and a Gershwin musical on Oct. 22 is being planned as a celebration of five years of culture and entertainment at the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Since its opening, more than 100,000 visitors have passed through the doors of the Fine and Performing Arts Center, which is home to WCU’s Fine Art Museum. The center has hosted events ranging from sellout performances of music, drama and dance to visual arts, music and drama festivals for Western North Carolina children.
Deadline for submissions is Friday, Aug. 13. The application and guidelines can be downloaded at http://fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.
For more information, contact Drury at 828-227-3591 or at ddrury@wcu.edu.
