Environmental sculpture to be subject of artist talk and Family and Community Saturday events
Released: October 21, 2009
TOPEKA - The new environmental sculpture created on the lawn of the Mulvane Art Museum by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty will be the focus of events on Nov. 20 and 21 at Washburn University. Events are free and open to the public.
• Artist talk, 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20 in room 143 of the Garvey Fine Arts Center, Washburn University. Dougherty will discuss his work.
• Family and Community Saturday event, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mulvane. Participants will build a large-scale group installation in the ArtLab, using recycled materials. They will also have the opportunity to create small woven art objects of their own, using natural materials.
Dougherty combines his affection for nature, carpentry skills and primitive building techniques to weave truckloads of indigenous tree saplings into an organic, free-standing sculpture inspired by the local environment. Volunteers were recruited to harvest the thousands of saplings and assist the artist in the creation of the work, which takes on new shapes and characteristics as it develops every day. When finished, the aging process and weathered forms that result underscore the organic composition of the sculpture’s material.
The Dougherty project is supported in part by the Kansas Arts Commission’s Kansas American Masterpieces grant program, Friends of the Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University and Washburn’s Campus Beautification Committee. This project is also sponsored in part by AT&T, The Real Yellow Pages and YellowPages.com.
Museum and ArtLab hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. No admission is charged. The museum is closed major holidays.
The Mulvane Art Museum is located on the Washburn University campus at 17th and Jewell Streets, adjacent to White Concert Hall. Free parking is available in the lot west of the museum. For additional information, call 785-670-1124, e-mail mulvane.info@washburn.edu, or go to http://www.washburn.edu/mulvane.
-30-
Return to News Release Search
