New sculptures go up along Broadway in advance of kickoff celebration

Cape Girardeau city crews worked to install outdoor sculptures along Broadway on Wednesday in preparation for today's kickoff celebration of seven new streetside sculptures.

New sculptures are placed downtown as seen Wednesday along Broadway in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

Southeast Missouri State University sculpture professor Chris Wubbena, who serves on the city's public-art committee, supervised the installations, said Sara Moore, director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

The fourth-annual Cape Girardeau Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit will be unveiled at 6 p.m. at the Vasterling Suites Courtyard at the corner of Broadway and Fountain Street, Moore said.

New sculptures are placed downtown as seen Wednesday along Broadway in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

The reception will be open to the public and include free beer tasting hosted by Minglewood Brewery, Moore said.

Award-winning sculptor Jennifer Torres of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, juried the exhibit with input from the city's public-art committee.

The seven sculptures were chosen from among 35 entries, Moore said. Torres made the final decision in the selection of the sculptures, Moore added.

New sculptures are placed downtown as seen Wednesday along Broadway in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

The sculptures will remain along Broadway for a year, ending in April 2018. The new sculptures replace ones that had graced Broadway for the past year.

"It has been very successful," Moore said of the annual exhibit.

She added the streetside exhibit is designed to increase the number of arts-related activities within the region and provide an additional revitalization strategy for the Old Town Cape organization.

The Arts Council, the city's parks and recreation department and Old Town Cape sponsor and organize the annual exhibit.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Broadway and Fountain Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.