Author: Art Around the Corner

Artist Story: Patrick Sullivan

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Look closely at one of Patrick Sullivan’s intricate works of carved stone, and you can start to sense movement and warmth emanating from within the rock. Observers often describe the “flow” inherent in his sculptures.  Originally from Vancouver, Canada, and now a dual-citizen living in Pine Valley, Utah, Sullivan talks openly about the living nature of the stone he loves to work with. “You have to get a feel for each one”, he says, “especially the big ones. There has to be an intimate connection between the stone and my own consciousness, my spirit, for the piece to really come alive.”

Sullivan prefers to do much of his work with hammer and chisel, just as sculptors have done for centuries. “I love to work directly with the stone to capture the essence of feeling from the moment of creation.” But electric or pneumatic tools have their place as well, particularly when working in the harder materials that he prefers, such as granite, basalt and marble.  For several of his public art projects, Sullivan has set up his workbench outdoors, in full public view.  “That’s a really engaging way to sculpt,” he says. “People get involved and feel like they’re a part of it.  It’s not just something that was dropped in. They’re a part of the creative process.”

One of Patrick Sullivan’s pieces, “O’Keeffe 5”, was jury selected for St. George’s 2015 Art Around the Corner Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, and is currently on display in front of the Main Street Plaza between the Boulevard and Tabernacle.  The sculpture is part of a series honoring the great American artist, Georgia O’Keeffe.  Carved from white, Carrara marble, the smooth, evocative shapes form an excellent example of Sullivan’s trademark style, his own blending of abstract and representational styles which he terms “lyrical symbolism”.    

Sullivan has been commissioned to create large pieces for multiple communities, with over 20 public art projects installed in the United States, Canada and Germany.  Tulsa, Oklahoma selected his 10-foot, 10-ton sculpture in Indiana limestone, “Last Love 7” for display in Guthrie Green Park. The 8-ton piece “Motion” is permanently installed at the Centennial Hills Transit Center in Las Vegas.  And Vandalia, Ohio chose his 6-ton “Vandalia Chiseled” for public display.  The artist carved each of these on-site, allowing people to watch as he worked.  “I see public art as a healing thing,” says Sullivan. “As I’m creating, I do think about people and how they will interact with my work.”

For the 2015 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, “O’Keeffe 5” is sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums.  As with many of the pieces in the exhibit, this beautifully carved stone sculpture can be purchased, or leased-to-own by interested organizations or individuals.  Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation, dedicated to enhancing the community and elevating quality of life through public works of art.  All purchases from the foundation are tax deductible.  For those interested in Patrick Sullivan’s work, or in supporting Art Around the Corner, see www.artaroundthecorner.org.

Cindy Trueblood
Art Around the Corner
Director of Sales and Community Relations
www.artaroundthecorner.org

Art washes the dust off our daily life

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Gil Dellinger, a contemporary artist known for western landscapes, said something like this, “Art is important. We tend to think of it as a luxury, but it gives people deep pleasure because beauty personifies hope.  Hope that something grander is at work.”

Don’t you feel that way too?  Art in whatever form—visual, musical, lyrical—

awakens within us a precious, creative life force that lets us see beyond our routine, everyday world.  It allows us to push open a heavy door, groaning on its hinges, to imagine a whole new world of possibilities, where beauty shines through the mundane, and joy prevails despite the struggle.  Art uplifts and edifies.

Recently my husband and I were walking the Art Around the Corner show in the downtown historic area when we encountered a man taking photos of the pieces.  We engaged him in conversation, and his enthusiasm for the sculptures became apparent. He was a construction engineer and had just finished several months of work on the Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas.  That day he was just passing through St. George on his way to another job. He said this was his life, traveling from one work site to another, a kind of high-tech nomad.

But what he said next will stay with me for a long time.  With much sincerity he expressed gratitude for stumbling upon the outdoor sculpture show.  He told us, “Finding this exhibit is an unexpected pleasure that has brightened my day. It is moments like this that give meaning to my crazy life.  I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

Wow!  Who would have thought that a short stop in our little city could mean so much?  This practical man, a professional who I imagine is very rooted in solving real-world problems of tensile strength and stress loads, had found a gateway into a different, creative dimension.  And his enjoyment of it would enrich others as well. He was taking photos to send home to his family, to share his experience with them.

Picasso once said, “The purpose of art is to wash the dust of daily life off our souls.”  I certainly agree. Without our intentional, creative efforts at transforming that daily dust, the world can indeed be dreary.  But the miracle of humanity is that we do transform, we do transcend, we do imagine. And I’m so grateful for that boundless capacity.  We are so blessed in this town to have a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly to bring art into our lives. They understand the importance of art and the value it adds to our community.  Thank you for all you do.

I never did get that man’s name, and now I wish I’d have asked.  So now I’m reaching out to find similar stories. If you’ve had a strong personal connection to the sculptures in our show, or have had a transforming experience with any piece of art, would you please share it with me?  I would love to hear about it.

Cindy Trueblood
Art Around the Corner
Director of Sales & Community Relations
www.artaroundthecorner.org

Artist Story: Gary Price

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Price’s “George Washington” part of sculpture display

No collection of works from western American sculptors would be complete without a representative piece by Gary Lee Price, from Mapleton, Utah.  Over the past 35 years, he has earned a reputation as one of this country’s most prolific and influential figurative sculptors, with hundreds of pieces in private collections and public installations all across the U.S. and internationally.  He is a member of the prestigious National Sculpture Society, and in 2014 was elected to “Fellow” status.

Fortunately, St. George is graced by several of Price’s bronze sculptures, acquired through the efforts of Art Around the Corner and the annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit.  “Flight Time” is prominently displayed at the northeast corner of the Tabernacle, and the whimsical duo, “Puffed Up Prince” and Puffed Up Princess” are kids favorites overlooking the Town Square water feature.  And the lobby of St. George Airport boasts a four-foot high Price bronze, entitled “Wings”.

We’ve included another Gary Lee Price piece in this year’s exhibit, with a more pensive and patriotic theme.  Directly across Main Street from the Tabernacle, “George Washington” depicts the father of our nation seated on a park bench with sheathed sword, poised to rise again if called upon.  The bronze bench has an inviting space open for viewers to sit next to the great man and reflect on all that he stood for. This piece is part of Price’s “great contributors” series, which honors luminaries such as Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein and the Wright brothers.  

Price’s long passion for sculpture began when he worked for another artist.  As he relates, it was a transformative experience: “I literally slept in the studio for nine months, with a foam pad and a Coleman sleeping bag.  I’d work all day long, I’d weld, I’d grind, I’d do his patinas. Then at night I’d work with clay and create my own pieces. And this was like magic to me.  Instead of creating a 2D illusion, I was actually creating the object itself in three dimensions. It was beautiful. It resonated so deeply within my soul that sculpting has been my pursuit, my entire life, ever since.”

Staying true to his declared mission of “Lifting the human spirit through sculpture”, he is involved an ambitious project that may well define his legacy.  Through collaboration with the late Stephen R. Covey, the family Victor Frankl (famous author and holocaust survivor), and a national non-profit organization, Price was selected to create what is planned to become the 300-foot “Statue of Responsibility”, to be the west-coast compliment to the Statue of Liberty.  You can see a smaller-scale version of the piece on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation working to enhance downtown St. George with captivating outdoor art.  The Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the foundation’s flagship project, which each year selects around two dozen sculptures for an temporary installation.  Organizations and individuals can buy pieces for public or private installation. The foundation retains a portion of the proceeds, which in turn funds expansion of the city’s permanent sculpture collection.  

Cindy Trueblood
Director of Sales & Community Relations
www.artaroundthecorner.org