Winthrop University faculty create public art for downtown Columbia, S.C.
Shaun Dargan Cassidy and Tom Stanley, “Moments”
One Columbia for Arts and History and the city of Columbia announce the installation of a second sculpture resulting from the public art pilot program.
Commissioned with a donation from Agapé Senior, “Moments” was created by artists Shaun Dargan Cassidy and Tom Stanley. Both artists are faculty members in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University.
The stainless steel sculpture is composed of an open box structure with an attic above and a tree root system below evoking memory and a collected lifetime of stories. These elements combine into a new sapling that grows up from these symbols of one’s life moments.
Artist Shaun Cassidy explains, “‘Moments’ was designed to use recognizable imagery as triggers to provoke associations with memory, decay, growth, the past and the future. The sculpture is intended to be both contemplative and aspirational and to provide a quiet moment of beautiful visual poetry on Main Street.”
“Agapé Senior is pleased to support the city and One Columbia’s public arts initiative by funding this sculpture,” says Scott Middleton, founder and CEO of Agapé Senior. “Our company works to improve the communities in which we serve through local chambers and Rotary clubs, as well as nonprofit support, and now with our corporate headquarters on Main Street, this opportunity just seemed like a great fit for us. Plus, I am a graduate of Winthrop University, so having the artists from my alma mater create the piece made this project came full circle for me personally.”
“Not only is this a great addition to Main Street, it also serves to demonstrate public art’s power to transform Columbia into a true city of creativity,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “None of this would be possible without strong public/private partnerships with great businesses like Agapé, and we’re very excited about what the future holds.”
A public announcement ceremony will be held Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. at the sculpture on the 1600 block of Main Street.
Artists interested in submitting their qualifications for consideration for future projects can find the call for artists on the One Columbia for Arts and History website at onecolumbiasc.com.
About One Columbia for Arts and History
One Columbia for Arts and History is a nonprofit corporation that works to promote collaboration among citizens, the cultural community, and city government through celebrations of Columbia’s arts and historic treasures. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for our residents, attract tourist dollars to our city, and further build our vibrant community. In short, it serves as the promotional arm of the City for Columbia’s cultural community. Visit the One Columbia website (onecolumbiasc.com) for a continuously updated master list of art and cultural activities occurring throughout the city.
Via: One Columbia