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Art in the Heart of the City

Now in its 14th year, Art in the Heart of the City brings the creativity of local as well as national artists to Ithaca’s downtown through an annual exhibit of outdoor art. This year’s show will be an eclectic one, exposing the public to the incredible range and scope of public art. This art is meant to be outdoors, in all sorts and types of weather. It is meant to be touched, inspected and interacted with by the public. We want to challenge people to experience art in their daily lives or in their visits to our community.

From mid-June to mid-November, temporary pieces by talented artists will enliven and enrich our environment. We will invite residents and visitors alike to experience the cultural vitality and creativity of Downtown Ithaca in new ways. Below, see pieces from the 2012 Art in the Heart exhibition.

Application materials may be found below. The deadline for application is April 1, 2013.

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance, private donors, and the City of Ithaca (through its Public Art Commission) work together to acquire permanent pieces for the downtown. These pieces range from murals to bronze and metal sculptures. If people truly love a piece, effort is made to secure it for permanent status.

The Art is for sale! To make a purchase contact The Downtown Ithaca Alliance at (607) 277-8679. For more information about the artists please visit www.downtownithaca.com. Art in the Heart is made possible by a grant from the Community Arts Partnership and is organized by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.

The Artists:

Mary C. Angers

Mary C. Angers, born in Manhattan, New York and living and working in New Jersey has been a visual artist all of her life. She received a B.A with high honors and Phi Beta Kappa in Art from Rutgers University, and then a B.F.A. from Parsons School of Design where she studied Fine Art and Computer Art and then an M.F.A from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Some of her most recent projects were the Metropark Rail Station in Edison, NJ; and the Bridgewater Timescape Monument in NJ.

Sam Castner

Sam Castner graduated from Alfred University. His studio is a crooked pole barn that is located on his seven generation family farm overlooking Keuka Lake. Searching through industrial scrap and construction waste, the body of work has a large focus on being sustainable with specific design around recycled-reused materials.

Liz Sibley Fletcher

Liz Sibley Fletcher, Mason, NH. Making art and protecting the environment have been the two strong threads of her working life. Since graduating from Massachusetts College of Art in 1970, she has been working in clay as a sculptor, potter and teacher. Life forms fascinate her. She loves to shape clay into creatures and strange beings. www.liz-fletcher-sculpture.com

Barron Naegel

As an artist, sculptor and teacher Barron Naegel strives to never forget how important creating is to his own well being. Committing himself to that goal and most importantly sharing it with as large an audience as possible is always necessary. He has been creating work in a variety of contexts and styles for the last 20 + years. He lives and works with his wife and cat in the Rochester region. www.barronnaegelart.com

Jay Seaman

Jay Seaman specializes in sculptures made of metal and wood. He experiments with a variety of wood finishes and metal coloring techniques. Jay often sculpts whimsical people or, more famously, birds. He is a self taught artist. He relies on experimentation and his consultation with other fine artists and crafts people to constantly hone his techniques and perfect his methods. Jay lives with his wife and daughter in Trumansburg, NY. jamesseaman.com

Bob Turan

Bob Turan is an award winning sculptor working in direct metal, concrete and stone. He uses several processes of cutting and welding, gas or arc as the work requires.

The materials may be mild steel, often painted, Corten steel which is designed to weather to a rich patina, or stainless steel which is polished bright. These metals often combine with found objects, natural stone or special concrete and terrazzo castings to tell the story. The work is often geometric, exploring the angles and facets of multi-sided solids, and looks into the inner layers and the hearts of these shapes.

Glenn Zweygardt

Glenn Zweygardt is an emeritus Professor of Sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Zweygardt possesses an uncanny ability to fuse dissimiliar elements and concepts, naturally occurring and fabricated forms, into structures that command attention. www.glennzweygardt.com

The Sculptures:

Sun to Moon Rotation by Mary C. Angers $7,500