A $6,000 grant from the Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department and the Community Development Corp. to the Ketchum Arts Commission has allowed the commission to install permanent pedestals for sculptures or any other use for display on Fourth Street from Walnut to Washington streets.
"The improvement of these pedestals will allow for all types of uses," said commission member Steve Pruitt. "The city of Ketchum has made a commitment to show support for art and culture."
Working since January, the Arts Commission has chosen 11 works from local and national artists to adorn Fourth Street. Newly installed pedestals will highlight four of the pieces. Displayed on Fourth between Walnut and Washington are works by local artists Ted Waddell, Rod Kagan, Robert Kantor, Mark Stasz and Wade Bradley. In addition, works represented by Gail Severn and Broshofsky Galleries include sculptures by Brad Rude, David Secrest, Will Robinson and Michael Coleman.
"Everyone benefits from public art," said Claudia McCain, a founding member of the Arts Commission. "Art in Fourth Street creates a buzz and it shows we are an arts community to residents and visitors."
Subject matter ranges from Brad Rude's "Trickride," a waggish bronze dog balancing objects on his nose, to Robert Kantor's bright green "Star" to Rod Kagan's austere "Totem 54." Addressing the notion of form follows function are two benches, one by Will Robinson, a green granite piece described in lyrical lines on Fourth and Main, and the other by David Seacrest, a steel piece in linear geometric forms on Fourth and Leadville. The popular bronze from last year, a warthog, "The Prince of Okavango," returns to watch over the new Ketchum Town Square.
Pruitt said the commission wants to promote art in public spaces to draw attention to well-designed pieces that will last and are aesthetically pleasing. These and the other sculptures to be placed on Fourth Street will be described in a brochure published by the commission and the city of Ketchum to assist viewers in their exploration of the exhibit. The sculptures will remain in place until after Labor Day.
"A sense of art on the streets says something about the community," McCain said. "Art is part of the human experience and can be explored in a communal way to educate and engage people, and it shows a community cares about its public spaces."
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
