Arts council to unveil new Broadway sculptures

The Public Art Committee of Cape Girardeau will host its fifth public art outdoor sculpture exhibition April 12, featuring two new artists and one Cape Girardeau native.

According to a news release, the artwork will be unveiled at a special reception � open to the public � at 5:30 p.m. at the Vasterling Suites Courtyard, at the southwest corner of the intersection of Broadway and Fountain Street.

The first exhibit was in 2014, around the same time the Broadway renovation efforts went into effect, according to Arts Council of Southeast Missouri director Sara Steffens.

For 2018, seven artists were chosen based on their background, skill level and concept or proposal.

�First we decide on the juror, then we reach out to sculptors and sculptor professors across the nation, since it is a national show,� Arts Council gallery manager Conley Clark said. �This year, Glenn Williams from the University of Wisconsin was selected because of his background in sculpture and his skills as an artist. The Public Arts Committee really liked his work.�

"Bird House" by Andrew Arvantes of DeKalb, Illinois, seen here Friday, has been on display for the last year at Broadway and Main Street in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

The Public Arts Committee chooses a juror and calls to multiple artists are placed nationwide, including different arts councils and universities, Clark said.

�Then we cross our fingers as the entries roll in,� Clark said. �We just put the call out, and see who responds.�

Clark said the committee had a great selection this year, with artists from all over the United States.

�Once the deadline has passed and all of our submissions have been entered, all the information goes to the juror, which is Glenn Williams,� Clark said. �He and the council of the Public Art Committee ultimately decide which seven pieces get into the show.�

Artists are allowed to submit three ideas or sculptures each year, so there is �quite a selection,� Clark said.

�There is no entry fee for this, so that�s a big bonus for the artist. They submit the work, and they can even submit proposals ...� Clark said, �with the hope of getting their proposal selected. That happened with one of the artists this year, so we�re really excited to see what that�s going to look like.�

According to Steffens and Clark, two new artists will be featured this year: Craig Snyder of Plymouth, Minnesota, and Alex Mendez of Decatur, Indiana.

�They�ve never been in the show before, so it�s nice to have brand-new artists,� Clark said. �And we have the returning artists and the Cape Girardeau native [Ben Pierce] as well, so that�s great.�

Steffens said seven sculptures were selected this year because that�s �just how it worked out for downtown� since the renovation began.

�It could grow later on,� Steffens said.

The exhibition rotates yearly, Clark said, and Steffens added the sculptures are available for purchase as well.

Funding for the exhibit is provided by the City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, the National Endowment for the Arts and Old Town Cape Inc., according to the news release.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632

Pertinent address:

Broadway and Fountain Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.