FACE celebrates Arts in April with Passport to the Arts
“The Waiting Game” from Fine Arts and Cultural Events of Mahaska County.
Fine Arts & Cultural Events (FACE) of Mahaska County is celebrating Arts in April with “Passport to the Arts,” a bus tour and last look at the 2017-18 Oskaloosa Sculpture Tour. On Friday, April 20, guests will board a recreational bus and be escorted around the city to hear about and see the art forms that have made up the inaugural year of the sculpture tour. Passports (tickets) for the bus tour are required for participation and can be obtained by contacting FACE at faceofmahaska@gmail.com or by calling 641-676-4694. Tickets are $30 each and include a small plates reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oskaloosa Art Center. Space is limited to 28 guests.
Thirteen sculptures were selected for the first installation of the project, and with the exclusion of a piece made by OHS students and installed at the school, all the sculptures can be purchased. Two sculptures have already been sold and will remain in Oskaloosa as permanent displays. The first is “The Waiting Game” created by Steve Huffman of Ottumwa. It is situated at the Oskaloosa Fire Department at the corner of 2nd Avenue East and South 1st Street and as soon as weather permits, a new decorative stone base and planter will be added to the display.
The second sculpture sold is “Cat and Mouse,” which now sits at Edmundson Park near the entrance and the pond area. Mitchell Kargol created this piece and has been commissioned to create a companion “Dog and Bone.” Both of Kargol’s sculptures will be installed at the new animal shelter, thanks to a generous donation by the Golden Goose Club.
The initial year of the Oskaloosa Sculpture Tour was funded by the George Daily Family Trust and the Golden Goose Club with assistance from Musco Lighting. A new exhibit will be installed in late May, in time for Oskaloosa’s 50th annual Art on the Square festival, and sponsors are being sought for the 2018-19 year. Already on board with sponsorship for the next year are The Oskaloosa Herald, MidWestOne Bank and Insurance Services, Legacy Realty, The City of University Park, Oskaloosa Vision Center, Mahaska, Bank Iowa, Musco Lighting and Kraig Ford.
Approved locations can be sponsored in part or in full by businesses, organizations or individuals. Residents of a neighborhood could even jointly sponsor a sculpture that would enhance the landscape of their area.
A representative of FACE would be happy to share more information about sponsorship. Just call 641-676-4694 or email faceofmahaska@gmail.com. And don’t forget to make your reservations to Passport to the Arts!
