First sculpture walk pieces in place
0 Comment | Email | Print | 526 views Elaine Walker | Anacortes American
August 19, 2009 - 06:00 AM

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Elaine Walker

Carrie Macready and Gary Robinson of the Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department manipulate ‘Ringer 7,’ a stainless steel and bronze sculpture by Seattle artist Ulrich Pakker, into position on Banner Bank property in the 1800 block of Commercial Avenue. Looking on is Zac Elander of the Anacortes Arts Commission. The piece, priced at $18,000, is one of the first of a dozen artworks making up the commission’s inaugural Anacortes Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition.

The city’s fledgling sculpture walk has started to take shape with the installation of the first pieces along Commercial Avenue.

First to be placed was Comet Birth, a colorful 54-inch tall cement cast piece by Port Townsend artist John Liczwinko. It’s on the corner in front of Sheely’s Floral & Gifts at 1420 Commercial Ave.

Last week it was joined by Ulrich Pakker’s stainless steel and bronze piece Ringer 7, which was mounted on a concrete pad on the future site of Banner Bank in the 1800 block of Commercial Ave.

“It’s our goal in the parks department to have them up by the end of August,” said Gary Robinson, director of Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department.

Completing contracts with businesses hosting the sculptures and coordinating installation with the schedules of artists has proved to take longer than organizers initially expected, Robinson said.

The artwork is part of the inaugural Anacortes Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, a project of the Anacortes Arts Commission. A dozen sculptures will be displayed on public and private property on Commercial Avenue between 10th and 34th streets. All will be for sale at a wide range of prices: For example, Comet Birth is $2,400 and Ringer 7 is $18,000.

The city will pay for installation and insurance, which will be recouped through a 30 percent commission on any sales.

Many of the artists, including Arnie Garborg, Ries Niemi, Joe Kinnebrew and Leo Osborne, are well-known. A jury selected the pieces from about 40 submissions. Sculptures will remain on display until they are sold or replaced by new pieces in November 2010.

The Arts Commission plans an opening celebration, perhaps in September. The event will also kick off fundraising efforts for a sculpture for the city’s roundabout.


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