Peter Irniq Comes To Ames

Public Art Commission chair Sam Stagg talks with renown Inuit artist, Peter Irniq, about his upcoming visit to Ames.

Check Out The PAC Booth At The Octagon Art Festival

Come see the members of the Ames Public Art Commission at our booth this Sunday at the 40th annual Octagon Center For The Arts festival.

In celebration of Peter Irniq's upcoming project in Ames, kids will get the chance to make their own inuksuk at our booth.

City Council Approves Next "Art In The Park" Project

The Ames city council has approved a request by the Public Art Commission to proceed with the selection of Peter Irniq to be the next artist featured for the PAC's "Art In The Parks" program.

Irniq is an artist and cultural teacher as well as the former commissioner of Nunavut, Canada, a northern artic territory near Greenland. His passion and expertise about the Inuit culture is expressed through the making of stone landmarks called inuksuk.

An inuksuk is a stone monument constructed for the purpose of navigation by the Inuit people of northern Canada. Inuksuit would designate good hunting areas or fishing spots, they would mark trails, and they would serve as a point of reference for travelers. According to Irniq, they were essential for the survival of the Inuit people.

The Public Art Commission invited Irniq to Ames this past May and determined his artwork would be a great addition to the Ames public art collection.

The Parks and Recreation Commission has approved the installation of three inuksuit sculptures in three separate parks: Emma McCarthy Lee Park, Ada Hayden Heritage Park, and Brookside Park.

In addition to constructing three inuksuit, the artist has agreed to give a public lecture about his work and culture, and he will conduct a weekend public workshop to teach citizens how to make their own inuksuit.

Ames residents will remember the participation and excitement generated by the "Restless by Nature" installation at Ada Hayden by artist Patrick Dougherty, and the PAC hopes this next project will build upon that excitement.

Peter Irniq To Bring Inuit Art To Ames

In an earlier post, we highlighted the life and work of Inuit artist Peter Irniq in advance of a visit to Ames.

The Ames Public Art Commission has voted to bring him back to Ames in the fall of 2011 in order to build Inuit art and share Inuit culture with the people of the city.

Peter's visit and subsequent work is tentatively set for late September/early October 2011, which would coincide with the annual Ames Octagon Arts Festival.

Join Us At The Reiman Gardens Art Fair!

The Reiman Gardens Art Fair, an event celebrating "art in the garden and the garden in art" is set for Sunday, July 11 from 9 until 4 at the Gardens.

The Ames Public Art Commission will have a booth at the fair. We'll have information on how to order "Restless By Nature" prints--plus PAC members will be on hand to talk about the various Commmission projects that you read about on this blog.

Here's a list of artists at the event as well. Come see us!

"Restless By Nature" Through The Seasons

If you haven't gotten a chance to enjoy "Restless By Nature" by Patrick Dougherty in Ada Hayden Park, please sure to put a visit on your calendar.

In fact, schedule several visits.

One of the wondrous features of this work of art is that it changes through the seasons.

Take a look at this series of photos, which captures the beauty of "Restless By Nature" through the years.

World-Renowned Artist To Visit Ames

A world-renowned artist who was commissioned for work at the Vancouver Winter Olympics this year is coming to Ames.

Peter Irniq will visit Ames from May 5-7. Irniq creates inuksuit, stone landmarks used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. Inuksuit may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache.

Irniq, who is an Inuit cultural activist, will be exploring the possibility of constructing inuksuit in Ames. His visit will include a tour of the parks of the city.

Irniq explains inuksuit in the video featured above.

The Ames Art Experience

Art lovers will enjoy a discussion group that will meet at the Ames Public Library later this month.

The "Ames Art Experience" invites residence to view pieces of art then discuss them. On Thursday, April 22, the group will discuss the work of Bill Barrett at 7 pm at the Founder's Suite at the Ames Public Library, which is located at 515 Douglas Avenue.

Participants are encouraged to view his outdoor sculptures located at ISU’s Gerdin Building and in the Elizabeth and Byron Anderson Sculpture Garden as well as his expressive canvases and sculptural maquettes in the Christian Petersen Art Museum atISU’s Morrill Hall before the discussion.

The presentation is free and is sponsored by Ames C.art and the Ames Public Library.

Ames C.art Mural Program

At its April meeting, the Ames Public Art Commission voted unanimously to endorse the efforts of the group called "Ames C.art" in their effort to create the first community-created mural in Ames.

A design team from Ames C.art will map out the mural's outline on the north wall of the T-Galaxy building in Campustown, and community volunteers will join in the actual painting.

Since the project will take place on private property, the Commission can't provide financial support, but encourages the public to volunteer for this exciting project. Complete details can be found here.

Welcome New Members!

Each April, the Ames Public Art Commission welcomes new members.

This year, the Commission is pleased to be joined by Christopher Betts, Greg Fuqua, and Bill LaGrange.

The Commission is a very active committee and the new members will be choosing soon to serve on one or more subcommittees such as fund-raising, public relations, or overseeing ongoing projects such as Art Around The Corner and Neighborhood Sculpture.

New Neighborhood Sculptures!

The Ames Public Art Commission annually selects up to four sculptures to be displayed in downtown Ames for a year as part of it's "Art Around The Corner" program.

Ames neighborhoods are then given the opportunity to acquire one of the sculptures on display as part of its "Neighborhood Sculpture" program.

The Commission has approved the following placements for 2010: "Untitled Flower" at the entrance to Munn Woods; "Rising Wave" (pictured) at the new Don & Ruth Furman Aquatic Center and "Change on Your Dollar" in Country Gables Park.

Be sure to look for this year's new displays in downtown Ames and be thinking as to which sculpture would look good in YOUR neighborhood. Information on how to acquire one of the pieces is here.

Art Around The Corner 2010

Approximately 16 sculptors have submitted 38 entries for the 2010 Art Around The Corner exhibits. This is more than previous years which is attributed to the increased honorarium. Several familiar sculptors have submitted entries along with many new sculptors.

The Art Around The Corner committee will select 4 sculptures to be displayed in downtown Ames from May 2010 until April 2011.

Before the exhibition period ends, Ames residents will be asked to vote for a "Best In Show."

Neighborhoods can apply to have one of the sculptures placed in their area. "Neighborhood Sculpture" applications can be found here.

Best In Show!

The winners of the 2009 "Best in Show" contest as part of the Ames "Art Around The Corner" program have been announced:

1. Untitled Flower
2. Rising Wave
3. Perpetual Horizon

You can see all the entries and their locations around the city of Ames here.

"Art Around The Corner" is a yearly program sponsored by the city of Ames and the Ames Public Art Commission. Artists from around the nation are invited to submit sculptures and up to four are displayed in downtown Ames from May 2009 to April 2010. Entry deadline is February 1. For more information, go here.