I guess by the way some of us talk every year we tend to forget that it gets hot here in South Carolina during the summer and projections of 100+ degrees the day before summer starts is no big deal – life goes on – you just wear less clothes. Besides I was at least smart enough to go in the morning when the temp was just 85 degrees.

Here’s a commercial announcement from the City of North Charleston: Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures throughout the stunning, picturesque Riverfront Park. Set on the banks of the gorgeous Cooper River, visitors enjoy ten acres of walking paths, a fishing pier, an oversized sandbox and children’s play fountain and the new Naval Base Memorial. A magnificent contemporary Performance Pavilion and expansive lawn provide a wonderful outdoor setting for small and large-scale events. Future park additions include a pedestrian bridge across Noisette Creek to the Hunley Submarine Museum. The historic site is centered in the Noisette District, the largest urban redevelopment project ever undertaken in the United States.

The 2009 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition juror was David Furchgott, President and Founder of International Arts and Artists, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions, and the public. For over 16 years, he was the Executive Director of the International Sculpture Center, which he developed to become the largest organization for sculpture with 15,000 members in over 70 countries. It was there that he began and published Sculpture magazine. Previously, he was with the South Carolina Arts Commission, the Gibbes Museum of Art and a consultant to the Spoleto Festival USA.

So here are the sculptures in this year’s exhibition:

Big Water Bottle Basket, steel, enamel by Jonathan Brilliant of Charleston, SC

Rich Sis, steel, wood by James Burnes of Santa Fe, NM

Boxes in a Box, aluminum by Samuel Burns of Chattanooga, TN

Orion’s Pyramid, steel by Stephen Chilingirian or Zirconia, NC

Cathedral Arch, steel by Bob Doster of Lancaster, SC

Thoughts Running Like a River, aluminum by Pattie Firestone of Chevy Chase, MD

Suffering Passes, Having Suffered Never Passes; In Living, Loss and Rebirth Enfold One Another, oak by James Fuhrman of Glenmoore, PA

Wave Form #5, reclaimed dock boards by Gary Gresko of Oriental, NC

Ollie’s Buoy, steel and concrete by Roger Halligan of Chattanooga, TN

Personal Space, steel by Hanna Jubran of Grimesland, NC

Where I have come from, what will I leave behind?, steel and cast iron by Corrina Sephora Mensoff of Atlanta, GA

Triangle Tango, steel by Bob Turan of Earlton, NY

Ker-Plunk, steel by Adam Walls of Red Springs, NC

The results of the competition for the 2009 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition are as follows:
Best in Show went to James Fuhrman for Suffering Passes, Having Suffered Never Passes; In Living, Loss and Rebirth Enfold One Another; 2nd Place was given to Roger Halligan for Ollie’s Buoy; 3 Honorable Mentions went to Jonathan Brilliant for Water Bottle Basket, Corrina Sephora Mensoff for Where I have come from, What will I leave behind?, and Bob Turan for Triangle Tango.

See images from the 2008 exhibit and 2007 exhibit. There are also a few sculptures still in the park from previous exhibits.

We don’t have many contemporary public sculptures on display in the greater Charleston area, in fact there are next to none on display in the City of Charleston, which is amazing for such an arts city. So, besides this exhibit in North Charleston and the 19 works on display in Azalea Park in Summerville, SC, part of the permanent outdoor collection donated by the Sculpture in the South organization, you won’t find many sculptures here.

This display in Riverfront Park seems a little thin in that it is a large park and most of the sculptures in this year’s exhibit are small or it might be better to say – they are not monumental. I’m not complaining, in fact I’m amazed that the City of North Charleston has mounted their fourth sculpture exhibit. It’s a major effort for the artists, the City, and the Cultural Arts Department. After all, this park is to be used by people – it’s not a museum. And, there were a good number of people using the park the morning I went there – some also taking photos of the sculptures. But, always wanting more of a good thing – I’d like to see bigger sculptures, more of them, and more sculptures by different artists (there is a group of artists who seemed to have had works in all four exhibits).

But here’s the catch – I don’t have any money to give North Charleston to expand their efforts, and arts money is in short supply these days. So, it’s hard to expect more – even when you want it.

In conclusion – the City of North Charleston is doing a great job with this program – better than their so-called artsy cousin Charleston. Hopefully more sculpture lovers from Charleston and elsewhere will go visit this exhibit and park. And, hopefully these  summer temps won’t last forever. But you can take it if I can – I’m a transplanted Yankee.

For further info or details about the next sculpture competition contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/745-1087 or at (www.northcharleston.org).

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