[SustainableTompkins] Sustainable Sculptures are focus of 2008 Art in the Heart of the City Program

[Marian Brown]

  Sustainable sculptures come downtown


    Public reception planned Thursday

 From Journal Staff Reports • July 1, 2008

ITHACA — This year's Art in the Heart of the City program will focus on 
sculpture and sustainability.

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance announced Monday that the ninth annual 
downtown art program will showcase sculptures all made of “natural or 
recycled materials.”

This year's featured artists are Kathleen Griffen of Ithaca, Kathy Bruce 
of New York City and Yolanda Daliz of Bloomfield, N.Y.

* Griffen's “Butterflies of Memory,” a vivid-color 15-foot by 15-foot 
display of fiberglass butterflies, will be hung from the ceiling of the 
Green Street Garage walkway near Home Dairy Alley.

* Daliz's “Frida's Dog,” “Matisse's Fish” and “Green Bird” are made of 
laminated and reclaimed wood, designed and sculpted into abstract 
totems. They range in height from 4 to 8 feet and width from 3 to 5 
feet. The base of “Green Bird” will be a usable public bike rack. The 
sculptures will be located on and around The Commons.

* Bruce's “The Three Graces” are three 12-foot to 15-foot female figures 
made of bamboo, raffia, straw and soil. Morning Glories will also be 
used and will eventually grow into vines that create an impression of 
the women being dressed in blue gowns.

A public reception for the artists, including light refreshments and 
music, will be held at 5 p.m., Thursday, July 3 at the Bernie Milton 
Pavilion on The Commons. Members of the public can also take tours of 
the sculptures and hear first-hand from the artists about what inspired 
their works and the messages they convey.

The reception will be immediately followed by a concert by The Burns 
Sisters as part of the Downtown Ithaca Summer Concert Series.

All of the sculptures in the 2008 Art in the Heart of the City program 
will be on display through Nov. 28.

The 2008 Art in the Heart of the City program is sponsored by the 
Community Arts Partnership.