Littering Cape Girardeau: Sculpture on the Green showcases work of five artists

Dr. Edwin Smith wants to see Cape Girardeau littered with outdoor sculptures.

He's working toward that goal year by year with his Sculpture on the Green show held each fall at Edward Bernard Gallery.

Smith has organized the show -- on display through October -- for four years. The format varies. In 2008, he invited 25 of his students and had 20 takers. In 2009, he asked and received 15. For the third show, he invited about five artists and allowed them to put in pieces.

This year he decided to narrow the number of artists, limit the number of pieces and enter a challenge: Each sculpture must be at least 6 feet tall.

"That might make a more interesting show," he said.

Apparently it worked. Paul and Peg MacDougall, who own Edward Bernard, told Smith this was the best show yet.

"I think that Cape Girardeau is maybe coming around to seeing the value in having some pieces of sculpture that tells newcomers to the city that there is a different attitude and feel here for the aesthetics in life," Smith said.

He said the Sculpture on the Green show reveals the level of large-scale sculpture talent in the area.

"I'm really pleased with the overall show, and I'm really pleased that I chose those five people," he said. "They're all five quite different in their own right."

Rob Friedrich

"Sinnlick"

Robert Friedrich with his sculpture titled "Sinnlich" outside Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"I was wanting to do more of a linear, figurative piece. I wanted to do one just kind of a central figure. No arms, no head. ... Here lately, I've been just going raw with it. Just start carving and taking away. I don't really even think about it at all. I just kind of start seeing what I see and kind of manipulating the figurative piece."

Ben Pierce

"Closer Separation"

Ben Pierce with his sculpture titled "Closer Separation" outside Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"This sculpture was really cathartic to make. ... This thing, this gap has appeared in several of my recent works. It all goes back to strained or severed relationships."

Pierce said he felt the idea or feeling when he returned to Cape Girardeau after serving four years in the Navy.

"Two things that look like they should fit together don't."

Matt Miller

"Conversion"

Miller designed his piece for the show on a 12-hour road trip to Sioux Falls, S.D., with Nathan Pierce. The two artists were delivering works to a show there.

Matt Miller with his sculpture titled "Conversion" outside Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"We had a long, thoughtful talk about trying to become artists and and what's holding us back. ... Nothing's holding us back. It's just the idea of fear and fear of things like taking that step, that jump."

When he returned, he started to change his piece.

"Monday at school I just doodled and doodled, and I kept doodling and I couldn't figure out why, and then I started thinking about our conversation and I started designing a piece kind of based on that initial thought that ‘I can.' That small little seed of belief that maybe I can be a professional artist.

"It's all about everything just finally coming together and tighten up into this, to like I said this little thought or belief."

Nathan Pierce

"Pushing Through"

"I think right now in my life I'm looking at the places I've been and where I want to be. So I'm seeing all these different directions I can go with my life. ... I started sketching abstract things that come to my mind that somehow relate to how I'm feeling. But with this piece I just started putting together shapes that I had. I kept dealing with this circle in some sketches and then I had this circle. And I started using that circle and then I started finding out why I was trying to shove stuff through this space, and I think it's just because I don't know where I'm going.

Nathan Pierce with his sculpture titled "Pushing through" outside Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"It's like I didn't realize why I was doing it while I was doing it. I figured out that in the process of making it."

Rosetta Whitten

"Yantra"

Rosetta Whitten with her sculpture titled "Tyantra" outside Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

"I gravitate to the found object, to the reassignment of meaning of objects. I see things. I like to assemble things together. ... When I put objects together, very common objects, sometimes I deconstruct things. Sometimes when they start coming together, sometimes it's very deliberate and then sometimes it's very open and very spontaneous. I did not have a plan for this piece."

When finished, she stands back and interprets the piece herself.

"I assign new meaning for myself, and I hope that's what my viewer does.

"Lots of my sculpture is rooted in my farm history, my farm family heritage and homage to my parents and their parents and what they have provided for us. For me, for my family. Everything that I've done relates to them."