Life-like bronze figures, 20-foot sculpture featured in city/campus art project

June 16, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency and the University of Florida will host more than a dozen realistic bronze figures and a towering monumental sculpture by internationally renowned sculptor Seward Johnson.

The collaborative event, titled “Crossing Paths: The University of Florida and City of Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency Present the Sculpture of Seward Johnson,” begins Monday and runs through Oct.14.

“Whispering Close,” a 20-foot-tall monumental sculpture of a couple dancing, is inspired by “Dance in the City,” the painting by French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Serving as the touchstone of the exhibition, the sculpture will be located on campus at the Plaza of the Americas and will welcome all to view the life-size sculptures sited around the City of Gainesville and the university campus.

Eleven of the life-sized figures, which range from 350 to 800 pounds each, will be placed along the Reitz Student Union North Lawn. The smallest sculpture, “Follow Me,” depicting a young piper, will rotate to various indoor campus facilities; guests will be able to locate the traveling sculpture by answering riddles authored by UF historian Carl Van Ness.

The installation is part of Creative B, a provost’s office program directed at giving students more opportunities to explore arts, culture and creativity during summer B semester. It runs till October, when UF will celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month, an initiative of Americas for the Arts.

“I am delighted that Creative B has expanded to engage more students and campus departments, including Student Affairs and their efforts in fostering participation among students through this high-visibility installation,” said College of Fine Arts Dean Lucinda Lavelli. “The Johnson exhibition, with sculptures in public spaces and various colleges and units around campus, will change the environment on campus and offer opportunities for our students to consider the role of public art in our communities, lives and research.”

The sculptures were selected from two collections by the artist, “Celebrating the Familiar” and “Beyond the Frame.” Respectively, these exhibitions include life-size sculptures of people in everyday activities and sculptures inspired by Impressionist paintings, including those by Renoir, van Gogh and Manet.

Ten additional sculptures will be located off-campus, administered by the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency. The off-campus installations will be hosted by community sponsors, as well as public locations within their redevelopment districts in the city’s urban core.

“In working with The Sculpture Foundation, we learned that this was the first time a city and campus combined forces to present these works,” said Community Redevelopment Agency Director Anthony Lyons. “Among our objectives is to increase conversations about the significance of creative and innovative economies in our region and the importance of the partnership between the City of Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency and the University of Florida in our efforts to create educational opportunities, jobs, and prosperous, vibrant neighborhoods.”

A printed map will be available, highlighting the locations of the visiting works, as well as permanent sculptures on campus and in the community. In addition, the city of Gainesville’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs is expanding its popular cell phone tour to include information about the installation. Visitors will be directed to dial a phone number and navigate through options to retrieve information about the installation, special events and additional opportunities to explore fine arts in our region.