S C U L P T U R E W A L K H O S T E D B Y

H E L E N M A T T H E S L I B R A R Y &

E F F I N G H A M C O N V E N T I O N A N D V I S I T O R S B U R E A U

Sculptures on the Avenue II

Sculptures on the Avenue Background Information

Began in 1997; has run for 15 years

Includes both permanent and temporary pieces

Anyone can submit a work for consideration

Effingham Tourism staff members choose sculptures to include

All pieces on display are insured by the city

A people’s choice winner is chosen and awarded the Leonardo Nierman Award of $1000 each year

Sculptures on the Avenues Information on temporary pieces

All temporary pieces are for sale

Temporary pieces are displayed for one year

Sculptures are switched out right before the Artisan Fair in April

Many pieces have been donated by the artist after the one year contract ends

Age of Aluminum

Gary Mitchell

St. Louis, MO

4th and Washington

$5,000

“This sculpture represents what can be done with sheet metal aluminum. The challenge was to make drapery in aluminum sheet metal and at the same time to remind ourselves of the great tradition of Western sculpture. This is a tradition in which the purpose of public art was to inform, delight and beautify the space it is in.”

Mr. Mitchell majored in Engineering and minored in Art and has his Master’s degree in Fine Art. He labels himself an amateur art historian. He admires the European tradition of sculpture and makes works that are derived from it.

Tension #2

Mike Hamer

Minonk, IL

4th and Washington

$750

“I have been fascinated by the idea of flight since I was very young and have been experimenting with ways of including it in my artwork. I am a current student at Eastern Illinois University and plan to graduate with a teacher’s certificate in Art Education. My artwork has become a passage for illustrating the unseen foundations of flight. I started with small scale sculptures using bronze as well as wood and other materials, but have taken an interest in the properties of steel.”

Mr. Hamer finds that how people view his work and the interpretations they make is the most important piece. This work was previously on display at the Tarble Arts Center.

Lone Flight Todd Kingery

Edgewood, IL 4th and Jefferson

$750

Mr. Kingery grew up in Effingham and has a degree in Business Administration. In 1995 he became a full time “twigbuilder”, prior to that he was a salesman and he’s never looked back. People from all 50 states and Canada have purchased his work. His work has been sold through national wholesale markets and in catalogs such as Crow’s Nest, Nieman-Marcus and Viva Terra.

Of this piece he says, “The wind brings animation to the piece.”

Out for A Swim

Todd Kingery

Edgewood, IL

4th and Jefferson

$900

This piece is made with Silver Maple saplings. Todd is a regular exhibitor at the Effingham Artisan Fair. Mr. Kingery has also been the featured artist at the Morton Arboretum several times and teaches classes each summer in Mineral Pointe, WI at the Woodlander’s Gathering.

Sails

Pam Frye

Shumway, IL

5th and Washington

$1,200

Pam Frye is a professional studio potter. Along with her husband, Tim, they own Frye Pottery, just outside of Effingham, where they give classes and workshops. Mrs. Frye attended Eastern Illinois University where she earned a degree in Art. Another creative outlet for her is designing steel and mixed media sculpture.

“Like the sails that harness the wind, this sculpture represents the journey our lives can take if you are not afraid to be swept away.”

Heart of Gold

Robert Lamberson

Dannebrog, NE

5th and Jefferson

Permanent

Mr. Lamberson describes his work as “the use of contrasting geometric forms and contrasting colors and textures, with an occasional touch of humor or whimsy”. He lives and works with his wife in their studio on the Loupe River near Dannebrog, NE. His wife, Mary Jane Lamberson, has a sculpture on display downtown called “Butterfly Brigade” and Mr. Lamberson has another sculpture downtown on Washington called “Lady in Red”.

Mr. Lamberson describes this abstract welded steel sculpture as “a whimsical depiction of a lady with great amounts of love and warmth”.

The Whirlwind is in the Thorn Tree

V. Skip Willits

Camanche, IA

5th and Section

Permanent

Mr. Willits learned metal welding at the age of ten from his father who was a shop welder for 40 years. Through the years he learned the characteristics of materials such as steel, cast iron and aluminum as well as other welding applications from torch to arc. Mr. Willits has two other pieces on display – “Stainless Steel Flowers” on Fifth and Washington and “Angular Flowers” on

Third and Washington.

This piece “was inspired by a Bible verse and a song by Johnny Cash”.

Steel Ribbon

Mark LaMair

Springfield, MO

5th and Section

Permanent

According to the artist, “the fanciful image of a ribbon caught in the breeze juxtaposed with the rough texture of rusted steel and the negative and positive elements of light is created by the geometric cutouts”.

Butterfly Brigade

Mary Jane Lamberson

Dannebrog, NE

5th and Section

$3,300

Mrs. Lamberson’s work includes watercolor and clay, although the drawback of clay is its reaction to the weather. “Butterfly Brigade” is one of the large steel works that she’s used to give the feeling of flight to cold steel. The openings in the wings suggest the gradual lightening of the weight of the heavy metal.

The number and the direction of the opening in the wings are designed to direct the eye upward and to imply movement.

Dark of the Moon

Tim Frye

Shumway, IL

4th and Section

$1,500

Tim Frye is a professional artist and a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Studio 3-D Art. He resides in rural Effingham with his wife, Pam. A studio potter by trade, the exploration of large steel sculpture has been a passion and reality for the past several years. Mr. Frye has exhibited other works on Sculptures on the Avenues and has done various commission pieces. Mr. Frye also has “DNA” on Third and Washington.

Of this piece Tim says, “A rocket explores the dark side to uncover its mysteries”.

Questions and Comments?

Voting ballots for the Leonardo Nierman award are available at Effingham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Helen Matthes Library

This $1,000 award is given to the artist whose piece receives the most votes

Voting is open to the general public

Voting ends April 2014