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Downtown Boone Displays Three New Sculptures for 2015-2016 Public Art Exhibit

The Downtown Boone Development Association is pleased to announce three new public art pieces in downtown Boone for the 2015-2016 Public Art Exhibit. Two sculptures are located at 567 King St. next to the Boone Town Hall, and the third sculpture is located at 664 King St. near the downtown Boone Post Office.

Flos with a twist
Flos with a twist

There were over 15 submissions for this year’s exhibit with pieces being submitted from as far as Chicago, Illinois. The Design Committee of the DBDA reviewed and discussed each piece as a group and in the end voted on three pieces and two alternates. The entire DBDA voted on the pieces chosen by the Design Committee at May’s board meeting.

This year’s exhibit showcases three regional sculptors; Kevin Duval from Wilmington, NC, Brian Glaze from Beaufort, SC, and Zach Smith-Johnson from Boone, NC. Zach Smith-Johnson piece, Inertia was chosen for the 2014-2015 Public Art Exhibit. Smith-Johnson’s work has also been shown at the Nth gallery in downtown Boone in addition to San Francisco’s premier modernism fair, FOG. Brian Glaze has exhibited in New York, Germany, and Italy and most recently has shown pieces in Beaufort, SC as well as on the campus of Brevard College. Up-and-coming artist, Kevin Duval’s piece, Jovial, is the first kinetic, movable sculpture exhibited in downtown Boone. Before arriving in Boone Jovial was shown in Wilmington, NC.

Johnson’ Flos with Twist is located closest to Boone Town Hall and sits at the entrance of the King St. parking lot. Flos expresses Johnson’s inspiration from nature and his ability to demonstrate organic movement. Zach Smith-Johnson is a sculptor and artist who works mostly with steel and cooper giving a new twist to age-old blacksmithing techniques. A native of Western North Carolina, Smith-Johnson’s first show was at the Nth Gallery of Boone in July of 2013. Before that he spent three years working every day to “get a better understanding” of steel prior to his first show. Johnson grew up snowboarding, kayaking, and traveling back-country roads on his motorcycle. His connection to nature is transparent in his art as many of his pieces derive from his love of the woods and the garden, expressions of life.

Gibbous 2
Gibbous

Next to Flos with a Twist also at the entrance of the King St. parking lot is Kevin Duval’s piece, Jovial. Duval’s blending of found mechanical components, with organically shaped metals, along with the vibrant, transparent colors of alcohol based inks over heavily ground metal, result in stunning, one of a kind pieces. Duval incorporates salvaged, scavenged, and reclaimed materials include copper, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, lead and more. Various techniques are used in the forming and construction of his sculptures, which may include forging, casting, hammering, welding, braising and soldering, as well as the use of conventional mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, screws, nuts, and bolts. Duval’s works has been shown in outside venues in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Maryland. Learn more about Duval’s work at www.kduval.com.

Gibbous Eyes is Glaze’s second piece shown in downtown Boone; Learning to Fly was exhibited on Depot St. in 2007. Glaze describes his works as stemming from past, present, and future concerns regarding communication, technology, and manufacturing. He states, “My desire is to inform the viewer of these procedures and substances in our lives, which are often overlooked or disregarded due to the constant bombardment of information through numerous forms of media, leaving us numb from their unrelenting persistence. For Glaze, “to contemplate, challenge, and possibly accept these findings compels me to create with bygone implements.” Glaze is an assistant professor of studio art at the University of South Carolina, Beaufort. Learn more about Brian Glaze art at www.briannglaze.com.

Downtown coordinator, Virginia Falck, states “studies and literature show that Public Art provides a sense of community and a nexus for social gatherings in towns and cities. People enjoy viewing art in shared, common spaces. It provides a sense of a shared experience and connects people to place.” She continues, “the DBDA board is happy to continue this annual program in conjunction with the Rosen Public Art exhibit on the campus of ASU. We’ve had some great artist participate and look forward to continuing the Public Art program in downtown Boone.”

For more information call 828-268-6280.

 

Jovial 1
Jovial