On December 9th and 10th 2011, The Arts Council, Inc. will host nationally recognized sculptors Austin Collins and Craig Wedderspoon for a series of special events. This is a collaborative effort to raise awareness of public art including the eleven sculptures currently on the UA Huntsville campus and the thirteen sculptures located in downtown Huntsville. UA Huntsville is one of five developers of the SPACES Biennial Sculpture Trail – a project designed to engage and enliven the Huntsville/Madison County community through a large-scale public art installation.
Father Austin I. Collins, CSC, is a professor of sculpture in the Department of Art, Art History and Design at the University of Notre Dame. Collins holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, he completed additional art studies at the University of California at Berkeley, and received a MFA in sculpture from Claremont Graduate University; Collins also holds a M.Div. from the Graduate Theological Union. Collins’s area of practice includes public art, large outdoor sculpture, installation art and liturgical art. Collins has had over 130 exhibitions and his work is included in 40 private and public collections.
Craig Wedderspoon joined the University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History in the fall of 1999 where he now serves as Associate Professor of Sculpture. As a sculptor, Craig specializes in metal and wood fabrication, and works in a variety of scales for both indoor and outdoor, permanent and temporary installations and exhibitions. His sculpture has been exhibited throughout the country and internationally in exhibits in China and Turkey. Wedderspoon and Collins both have two sculptures on display in Huntsville through August 2012 as part of the SPACES Biennial Sculpture Trail.
As a professional sculptor and current board member of The Arts Council, Glenn Dasher, UA Huntsville’s Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, is eager to welcome the public to the December 9 and 10 events. Dasher states, “The 25 sculptures included in the SPACES Biennial Sculpture Trail have been part of our community for nearly a year now, and we’re happy that these sculptures have prompted both residents and tourists to engage with their environment in new and different ways. On December 9th and 10th, the community can learn more about the artistic intent and process of two of our SPACES sculptors, Father Austin Collins and Craig Wedderspoon, as Huntsville welcomes these nationally and internationally recognized artists to Huntsville.”
December 9, 2011 Artist Talk and Tour at UAHuntsville
When: Friday, December 9, 2011
10:00 am – Artist Talk
11:30 am – Walking Tour
What: Artist Talk & Walking Tour with Austin Collins & Craig Wedderspoon
Where: UA Huntsville Campus, Wilson Hall 168
Who: This event is FREE and open to the public
December 10, 2011 Artist Talk and Tour in Downtown Huntsville
When: Saturday, December 10, 2011
9:00 am – Toast to Public Art and Artist Talk
10:00 am – Walking Tour
What: Champagne Toast to public art sponsored by Adair Refinishing followed by Artist Talk & Walking Tour with Austin Collins & Craig Wedderspoon
Where: Cotton Row Restaurant, 100 South Side Square Downtown Huntsville
Who: This event is FREE and open to the public.
Further information at (256) 519-ARTS (2787).