Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Admirers gather around “Paternity,” created by artist Nick Russetto, while walking along the streets of Boulder City during the 3rd annual Art Scape Art Walk. At a selling price of $4,000, the piece is a reflection of Russetto’s personal celebration of the joy his two children have brought to his heart.
Saturday, May 30, 2009 | 12:40 a.m.
Boulder City art lovers were treated to a night at the museum in their own back yard on Friday.
About 40 residents gathered at the Boulder Dam Hotel on a warm summer evening for the official unveiling of 17 sculptures recently installed downtown as part of the Boulder City Public Art Scape program. Art Scape, which is in its third year, brings public art installations to the downtown area to promote tourism and enrich the community.
This year’s collection incorporates a range of materials and styles.
Outside the Boulder Dam Hotel sits a detailed bronze sculpture of a little girl peeking over her brother’s shoulder as he reads a book. Across the street, a glimmering statue of steel, foam and fiberglass forms a treble clef, but only if viewed from the right spot. At the end of the block and around the corner, a whimsical daisy stretches high into the air, the green leaves at its base creating a bowl chair for passersby in need of a break.
Organizers said the committee draws from a broad palate of tastes to select the pieces, which are submitted from across the country.
“I get so excited about all the art,” said Darlene Burk, who founded the program and organizes the annual sculpture tour. “It can be all kinds and I appreciate all of it.”
The pieces will be on display for a year, and many on the Friday tour said they were eager for the opportunity to learn more about the thought behind the pieces that will be a fixture in their community for the next 12 months.
Boulder City Mayor Pro Tem Mike Pacini, who served as the emcee and tour guide of the event, shared background information about the artists and insight into the pieces at each stop. Several artists were on-hand to answer questions and discuss their work with viewers.
“It was nice to see something like that go on in this little town,” said participant Joe Ray. “It was all clean fun. We all enjoyed it and the art was fantastic. This was a lot of talent.”
Throughout the year residents can vote on their favorite sculpture. The piece that receives the most votes will be purchased by the town using funds raised by the Public Art Scape committee.
The program has purchased three pieces to add to the city’s growing public art collection. Several pieces have also been purchased and donated by local families and organizations, including the Sunrise Rotary, which gave the city a bust of two eagle heads perched on the corner of Arizona Street and Nevada Way.
“We love the art walk downtown and the culture. We love the sense of community that is unique to this town,” Sunrise Rotary President-elect Paul Krumm said. “We hope that more of these pieces are purchased and remain in the downtown area.”
Organizers say they hope the pieces spur traffic to local businesses by encouraging residents and visitors to slow down and spend more time exploring Boulder City attractions and shops.
“(It gets people to) come in town and they stroll about. They just don’t rush in and rush out,” said Mariola O’Brien, a member of the Public ArtScapes committee.
Many participants agreed that the art could draw more people downtown.
“I think it makes downtown more of a place people want to go because they can walk around and see the pieces,” said Bill Rackey, who has lived in Boulder City since the 1960s. “It definitely beautifies the town and brings some culture to the town.”
In addition to getting tourists and residents alike to slow down and soak up all that downtown Boulder City has to offer, organizers and artists said they hope the program infuses culture and creativity into the community.
“Art enhances the community. It’s a feeding of the soul, if you will,” said Fedrico Aguirre, whose work has been featured in this year’s and last year’s collection. “Everything you see here is the expressing of someone wanting to show their creativity.”
After the art walk, organizers announced the three top pieces from last year’s collection. The winning piece, “Bouncin’,” by Scott Streadbeck, will be purchased by the Art Scape program and will remain on display in Boulder City.
Lynne Jordan, a member of the committee, expressed gratitude for what the added art works have contributed to the community.
“You have brought excitement, conversation and beauty to our small town, and we thank you,” she said to the artists.
Several of the artists who joined in on the walk said they were grateful for the visibility provided by the program.
“It’s a great way to get your art seen, especially when the economy is the way it is and galleries are so expensive,” said Nathan Slape, who created an abstract female bust out of blue and grey marble specifically to submit to the show. “With people coming through for the Hoover Dam, you’ve got a lot of eyeballs seeing yours stuff.”
Pacini said the program has been the perfect addition to the community he represents.
“Boulder City is like Christmas. The shops downtown are like the presents and now we’re hanging the ornaments. It’s a great addition,” he said.
CORRECTION: This story was updated to reflect that the Boulder City Public Art Scape program purchases the statues, not the city. | (June 4, 2009)
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy