Eau Claire (Press Release) - After
a long, hot summer of voting, the winner of the second annual Sculpture Tour
Eau Claire People's Choice Award has been chosen! "The Blind Spot," a whimsical
daydreaming frog perched at the corner of Lake Street and Barstow Street in
downtown Eau Claire, will be taking up permanent residence on a local lily pad early
next spring.
The
artist who created "The Blind Spot" lives right here in Eau Claire. Dan
Massopust is a local sculptor who has submitted work to Sculpture Tour Eau Claire
each of the last two years (you may remember his diving otter, "Lunchtime,"
from last year's show). When asked about the inspiration behind his
winning sculpture, Dan reflected, "I didn't just want a frog sitting in a
standard frog pose, so I decided to make a dreamy frog. A frog so entangled in
his dreams that he knows of nothing else going on around him. To exaggerate
even further the frog's dreamy state, I placed a giant bronze fly in the middle
of his back- in his ‘Blind Spot.'"
Massopust
stressed his difficulties with the sculpture's form. "It seemed that every
prototype was too springy…I decided to make the sculpture in concrete to force
the heaviness into the sculpture…Finally I had taken the springiness out of the
frog, but it created a whole new set of problems - WEIGHT and lots of it." Clocking
in at 2,500 pounds, displaying this heavy work of art required an extra two
months of planning.
The
current sculptures will be on display until May of 2013. Massopust sums up his
feelings of gratitude in this way: "I cannot describe to the people of Eau
Claire and other people that voted how grateful I am for you choosing ‘The
Blind Spot' as People's Choice. Thank you!"
Sculpture
Tour Eau Claire would also like to announce the following awards:
Best
of Show: "Jack's Story Time" Artist: Gregory Johnson, GA
Best
of Show Bronze: "Bad Hair Day" Artist: Jerry McKellar, WA
Best
of Show Other Material: "High and Dry" Artist: Kyle Fokken, MN
This
summer, Eau Claire has been the lucky recipient of three of last season's
sculptures. "Circle of Friends," located at the L.E. Phillips
Memorial Public Library, and "Granny's Garden," located at the
Phoenix Park Pavilion, were both acquired as a result of pass-through funds at
the Eau Claire Community Foundation. "High Five," also located in Phoenix Park,
was selected as the 2011 People's Choice Award Winner.
The
2012 People's Choice Award was sponsored by the Eau Claire North Barstow BID
Board and the South Barstow BID Board.
Sculpture
Tour Eau Claire is a nonprofit organization which seeks to enhance our downtown
streets with the addition of 30 or so incredible sculptures each year. The
sculptures are loaned to our city from the artists and are displayed outside
our local business sidewalks for all of our community to enjoy. The sculpture
artists come to us from all over the United States and the world, making Eau
Claire a destination spot for art lovers from all over the Midwest.
The
organization always welcomes volunteers to serve on their committees and help make
the tour a success. The Sculpture Tour Eau Claire committee meets at
8:00am on the third Thursday of each month at the Eau Claire Community
Foundation, located at 306 South Barstow Street in downtown Eau Claire.
The Eau Claire
Community Foundation is a fiscal sponsor of Sculpture Tour Eau Claire. To
donate to Sculpture Tour Eau Claire, visit www.eccommunityfoundation.org, click on "Make a
Donation," and specify "Sculpture Tour Eau Claire Endowment Fund." Gifts in the
form of a check can also be mailed to the Eau Claire Community Foundation,
Attn: Sculpture Tour, 306 S. Barstow Street, Eau Claire, WI 54701.
