Two S.C. artists among winners of National Outdoor Sculpture Competition

Seventy-five sculpture artists from across the nation applied to the 9th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition organized by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. Two of the 11 artists chosen for the exhibition are from South Carolina: Bob Doster of Lancaster and Kevin Eichner of Hilton Head.

The exhibition was presented as a component of the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival and is displayed at the North Charleston Riverfront Park through March 25, 2015. This unique, 11-month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures, as well as compete for up to $16,250 in honorariums and awards.

“The natural beauty of Riverfront Park offers the ideal setting for each of these remarkable sculptures,” said juror Brad Thomas, director of residencies & exhibitions at the McColl Center in Charlotte, N.C. “I have long been a proponent of art outside the confines of museum and gallery walls. Sculpture in public spaces can serve to intrigue those who may be considered excluded from the world of art. By virtue of its placement, art in public spaces serves as ambassador, possessing the potential to break down perceived barriers of exclusivity and unlock a lifetime of creative thought and inquiry.”

The 11 sculptures selected for exhibition are by 11 artists from seven states. Congratulations to the winners of the 2014/15 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition:

  • An Ode to Architectural Form (painted steel) by Jordan Krutsch – Greenville, N.C (Best in Show)
  • Duet (reclaimed steel) by Kevin Eichner – Hilton Head Island, S.C (Outstanding Merit)
  • Cloud Rain (steel) by Jeffie Brewer – Nacogdoches, Texas (Honorable Mention)
  • Slice of Heaven (concrete & limestone) by Craig Gray – Key West, Fla. (Honorable Mention)
  • Summit (granite, glass, stainless steel) by Antoinette Priene Schultze – Eliot, Maine (Honorable Mention)
  • PC Column (powder coated steel) by Carl Billingsley – Ayden, N.C.
  • Dancer (stainless steel) by Bob Doster – Lancaster, S.C
  • Tumbling Towards the Sun (steel) by Gary Gresko – Oriental, N.C.
  • Growth & Direction (forged & fabricated steel/perforated steel) by Corrina Sephora Mensoff – Atlanta, Ga.
  • Foreversphere (polyethylene) by Matthew Newman – Damascus, Va.
  • The Dance (cor-ten steel) by Davis Whitfield, IV – Sylva, N.C.

View photographs of the 11 works online at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

Sculpture sites are located throughout North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue on the former Charleston Naval Base. The park is set on the banks of the Cooper River. In addition to the sculptures, visitors may enjoy 10 acres of walking paths, a performance pavilion, picnic shelter, a fishing pier and boardwalk, an oversized sandbox, and children’s play fountain. The park is open daily during daylight hours. Admission and parking are free.

For more information call the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org.

Via: North Charleston Cultural Arts Department