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Rosen Sculpture Walk Offers a Glimpse into the World of Contemporary Sculpture Through Jurors’ Eyes

July 30, 2012. The Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition is a national juried competition presented annually by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone. This year the walk is July 28. Made possible by the generosity of longtime arts supporters Martin and Doris Rosen, this national, juried competition continues a long-held tradition of showcasing the best of large-scale, contemporary American sculpture. 

Each year, ten sculptures are selected for exhibition and are situated in outdoor, public settings across campus. A cash prize is awarded to the artist whose work is chosen as that year’s Rosen Award winner. Since its establishment in 1987, The Rosen has become an integral part of An Appalachian Summer Festival, the university’s annual multi-arts celebration, with the announcement of the Rosen Award winner coming during the festival’s annual Sculpture Walk with that year’s juror.

The popular Sculpture Walk offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the world of contemporary sculpture, through the eyes of the juror. The winner of the 26th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition will be announced at the reception to be held at the conclusion of the walk.

The Sculpture Walk will begin July 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. at Catherine Smith Gallery located within Farthing Auditorium.

Finalists of the 26th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition are:

                  Judith Greavu (Dola, OH); Trojan Ocarina; Silicon and bronze

                  Jonathan Hils (Norman, OK); Camber; Welded and painted steel

                  Joey Manson (Central, SC); Carry Forward; steel

                  Jerome Harris Parmet (Scarsdale, NY); INTER-S-XIONS; Welded and painted steel

                  Rudy Rudisill (Gastonia, NC); Home Sweet Home; Galvanized steel

                  Wayne Trapp (Vilas, NC); Double Half in Balance; Powder coated steel

                  Kyle Van Lusk (Brevard, NC); Journey to the Top of Looking Glass; Steel and cast iron

                  Kevin Michael Vanek (Bowling Green, OH); One Big Scoop; Fabricated mild steel

                  Wayne Vaughn (Durham, NC); Auf Einer Winternacht (On a Winter’s NIght); Patinated and fauxed steel

                  James Westermann (Morrisville, VT); Comet; Steel, stainless steel, and stone

These ten finalists were chosen from a total of 37 artists entered with a total of 58 separate entries. These works have been installed on Appalachian’s campus from Walker Hall to the Duck Pond.

Last Year’s Winner

Adam Walls, from Laurinburg, was announced as the First Place Award winner of the 25th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition for his steel and iron sculpture Surprise. Juror Mel Chin made the announcement at the conclusion of the annual Sculpture Walk on July 23, 2011.

“As an artist I am motivated to produce work that has a high degree of physicality, interactive opportunity and introspection,” Walls said. “I am incredibly inspired by pop culture items such as toys, comics and science fiction. My sculpture often appears to be toy-like. As a child, toy play afforded me an incredible love of escapist fantasy that I believe is apparent in most of my work. This love still exists through the creation of my large-scale sculpture.”