EcoArt Metal Sculpture Contest

Sculptures evoke TLC’s care for environment


Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, May 22, 2012



Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)

A full-size sculpture of "The amazing bird of earth" will sit outside The Learning Center.

This fall, students’ vision of how TLC at Linlee cares for the environment will come to life as professional artist Erika Strecker fashions a 12-foot metal sculpture outside The Learning Center. She will follow the design of seventh-grader Carolyn Boswell and eighth-grader Katie Ann Delph, who teamed up to win a schoolwide contest.



In her artist statement, Carolyn explained how birds transporting seeds to scatter flowers around the planet inspired their colorful piece, “The amazing bird of earth.”



Strecker spent time with TLC classes during the past month, explaining steps in the creative process from sketch to scale model to full-blown public art.



“We’ve really been pushing that the idea is the kernel behind the whole thing. They’ve got to be able to describe it and portray it visually,” Strecker said before the May 18 judging. “In my mind, art is another method to convey a message. So with this, they’re conveying some sort of ecological message in a three-dimensional format.”



Tony Pisacano, a junior who takes a pottery class, wandered among the 50 or so entries during the after-school reception. Depicting the modernization of Earth and the prolific consumption of natural resources, Tony had tried to make “The Urban Tree” a visually appealing model.



“The whole idea is we’re designing a piece of art to be on display outside the building,” he said, noting it will be seen from Spurr and Georgetown roads.



Students used a variety of materials such as recycled wire, nails, yarn, cardboard, glass, marble, aluminum and foam. They talked about artistic elements like form and balance as well as thematic elements such as what really happens to household trash and where food comes from.



The project was open to everyone, not only those taking art classes, and about half the student body participated.



“I wanted to be in TLC’s first art show because it shows that I can be good at something,” said sophomore Kadeijah Hawkins. “I try to express myself through my artwork as best I can.”



Students voted on their favorites, and the People’s Choice Award went to Luis Castro’s “Upside Down Tree” with its intertwined silver and blue metal bands.



Art teacher Cindy Zeller organized the project using an EcoART grant from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and a TIP grant from the Kentucky Arts Council.



The Department of Environmental Quality and LexArts are part of the EcoART grant program, which funds creative projects that get people thinking about storm water, energy conservation, recycling and other environmental issues. In the Teacher Initiated Program (TIP), teachers collaborate with professional artists for one- to four-week residencies and curriculum resources.



“We wanted to have a focal point to connect our school to the outdoors,” Zeller said. “A lot of the kids went online to research artists for their ideas, and they learned it doesn’t necessarily have to be realistic to be meaningful.”



TLC hopes to collect donations from the community to cover the cost of materials for the final sculpture, which should be completed next semester. Strecker said students are excited about its making a lasting impression at their school.



“Once they graduate and are gone, other kids will be affected by it,” she said.





Summer opportunity

The Josephine Sculpture Park in Frankfort offers a free creative workshop for ages 11 to 15.



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