Iowa Sculpture Festival Call for Entries

Iowa Sculpture Festival seeking entries

The Iowa Sculpture Festival Committee is sending out their annual "Call for Entries," an invitation to artists around the Midwest region to apply for entry into the 2011 ninth annual festival. A juried exhibition, the 2010 event included sculptors from 13 states. Media exhibited included bronze, welded steel, paper, textiles, wood, glass, ceramics and stone.

The purpose and goal of the Iowa Sculpture Festival is to celebrate the development and growth of sculpture as an ultimate art form and to feature the artists who create it. In pursuit of this objective, the Iowa Sculpture Festival has established Newton as a center for sculpture through its annual festival and the community for year-round educational programming on sculpture. During the first seven festivals, a site committee selected one sculpture annually for permanent public display. A panel of judges continue each year to award prizes to participating artists for the quality of their work.

As the result of the donation of no less than seven major sculptures to the community through the Community Purchase awards, Newton has seen non-profit groups, individuals, and businesses step-up to also contribute 3-D art to the community for public enjoyment. These have been given to honor, or remember individuals, to celebrate events, or just simply share the inspiration of fine art. Unlike many communities now just beginning their public art acquisitions with a sculpture garden, Newton can say with pride that public art is in all four quadrants of town for all to view.

ISF has had an underlying goal to site sculpture at all Newton public schools for education, in some of which the students were a part of the design concept. Soon, students of Newton Community School Elementary school teacher, Chris Humpal and Julie Saugstad, will join artist John Brommel of Des Moines in designing a sculpture of reclaimed materials. The finished art will be dedicated at a site to be announced as a gift to the community from the 250 fifth grade students. The project is sponsored through grants from Alliant Energy, Newton Community Education Foundation, and RENEW Newton.

The public is encouraged to pass the information of the ISF to skilled sculptors to apply to the ISF jury.

There are many artisans who may not be on the ISF mailing list. A "Call for Entry" form will be promptly sent to the artist by contacting Linda Klepinger at 521-3554 or accessing the Iowa Sculpture Festival website: www.iowasculpturefestival.org. Those desiring to volunteer for the event may call the same number. The selected date for the 2011 Festival is June 11-12.