Sculpturewalk set for Saturday
By Kyra Hoggan
Back by popular demand, Sculpturewalk this year promises to outstrip its inaugural showing in 2010.
Organizer Pat Field says this year will see 26 statues, as compared to last year’s 17. “Twenty-five (sculptors) applied directly to Castlegar, of which we chose 12,” he said. “I went down to Sioux Falls and sat down with four other communities, and looked at 155 pieces – that’s how we got the other 14.” Most everything else will be the same as last year: the statues ate set to go up this Saturday before a private gala for artists and sponsors Saturday night. The statues will be on display with voting open from June through September, determining which of the entries will remain in Castlegar forever. Of course, the biggest difference will be the statues themselves. “There are some really amazing pieces this year, ranging in price from $5,000 to $60,000,” Field said. After such a hugely successful start last year, with over 1,600 people voting on their favourite sculpture, Field said there’s been little difficulty finding sponsors. “We didn’t have any problem getting money. It was great,” he said. “Our sponsors cover the whole range: businesses, individuals, families, clubs, agencies, all four levels of government …” He said the other thing that hasn’t changed is the rationale driving Sculpturewalk. “We care about the community and about supporting local artists, but it’s about more than that,” Field said. “We want to get Castlegar thinking of itself as a leader in public art, creating momentum for collaborative capacity for achieving other goals, like downtown revitalization, economic development and expanding our cultural tourism base.”
Comments