New sculptures placed downtown

Art lovers have the chance to experience new sculptures that were placed along Broadway Street in downtown Siloam Springs on Jan. 29.

Three new sculptures designed by University of Arkansas art students Jordan Anson, Piper Hart and Elise Gilbert were placed downtown on the bump outs along Broadway Street. Sculptures created by Anson and Gilbert were placed on

opposite sides of the intersection of Broadway Street and Alpine Street. Hart’s sculpture was placed on the northeast corner of Broadway Street and East Central Street.

Each sculpture depicts something different in the eyes of its creator. Anson’s sculpture “Vantage” is about vantage points.

“The idea behind this piece is that with the pyramids placed in a multitude of directions and Plexiglas placed in random positions, they overlap throughout your vantage point at all times,” Anson said. “Therefore, your vantage point ten steps back or even one step right or left will leave you with a different perspective of the piece.”

Anson said it’s important to remember that as someone looks at the same issue, object or topic their perspective will be different than someone else’s.

Hart’s sculpture “Nature’s Flow” deals with nature. She used hard, harsh metals so people would first focus on nature. Then using natural colors Hart emphasized nature’s beauty.

Gilbert chose to focus on self-using nature as an inspiration for her sculpture “Grow Your Own Way/Glow Your Own Way.” Gilbert said the piece is a reminder for people to be weird and to be themselves.

A fourth sculpture was to have been placed on the opposite side of the intersection, but the artist working on it had to back out due to coronavirus issues, according to Holland Hayden, city communications manager. Instead, a large receptacle with a plant sits where the fourth sculpture would have been placed.

The project is a collaboration between Main Street and the city of Siloam Springs, Hayden said. Schematic designs for the sculptures were submitted to a panel of Siloam Springs artists, business owners, University of Arkansas School of Art representatives, as well as representatives from the city of Siloam Springs, according to Downtown Improvement Chair Victoria Sandoval.

Downtown Improvement Committee’s mission is to improve aesthetics, accessibility and infrastructure of downtown in response to current and relevant connectivity and strategic plans, Sandoval said.

The sculptures were supposed to be built during the spring semester of 2020, but the students were unable to access campus facilities, including the sculpture studio due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sandoval said. As a result the sculptures ended up being constructed in the fall of 2020 at the school of art’s sculpture studio, she said.

Plans for the art displays began as a discussion in late 2018 among volunteer members of the Downtown Improvements Committee, which supports Main Street Siloam Springs, Sandoval said. The committee wanted to promote and showcase local art in the downtown space and create opportunities for upcoming artists, she said.

The committee made a connection with Donna Smith Jones, director of recruitment and outreach at the University of Arkansas School of Art. This led to a seminar course being developed to give sculpture students the opportunity to learn additional design considerations needed when creating arts for public spaces versus in an art studio, understanding contracts with government organizations and safety considerations, Sandoval said.

“The sculptures are on loan to the city of Siloam Springs for one year, with the intention of continuing this partnership with the University of Arkansas School of Art to allow for new student art to be displayed downtown on a rotating basis,” Sandoval said.

This is the second set of sculptures to be installed downtown. The first set of sculptures, installed on Nov. 26, 2019, were designed by John Brown University visual arts professor David Andrus, according to former Main Street Executive Director Kelsey Howard. The first sculptures were built by Alternative Design, Howard said.

Photo Submitted University of Arkansas student Jordan Anson's sculpture "Vantage," was placed at the northeast corner of Alpine Street and Broadway Street. The idea behind this piece is that with the pyramids placed in a multitude of directions and plexiglass placed in random positions, they overlap throughout your vantage point at all times. Therefore, your vantage point 10 steps back or even one step right or left will leave you with a different perspective of the piece. It's important to remember that while we may be looking at the same object, or issue, or topic, that our perspective of it will be different than someone else's, no matter where we stand or how we look at it," Anson said

Photo Submitted Elise Gilbert’s sculpture “Grow Your Own Way/Glow Your Own Way” was placed at the southwest corner of the intesection at Alpine Street and Broadway Street. “This piece is inspired by nature as a reminder to be weird, be you, and be yourself,” Gilbert said.