Following approval by the Langley City Council, the Langley Arts Fund is pleased to announce a May 15th unveiling ceremony to celebrate three new sculptures in downtown Langley. The ceremony, to be held on Second Street in front of Callahan's Firehouse at 1pm, will feature Mayor Tim Callison as Master of Ceremonies.
The three local sculptors will be present, along with the team from the Langley Arts Fund. The stipends for the sculptors come from money raised by the Arts Fund as part of an agreement with the City Council. The sculptures will remain on view for the next two years.
“We had outstanding entries from Whidbey Island artists to choose from,” said Diane Divelbess, who led the selection process for the Langley Arts Fund. “We are all very excited to see these wonderful sculptures gracing our beautiful village.”
Rumor has it that Mayor Callison will arrive on his purple motorcycle, festively attired in his signature white tuxedo. Please come join the fun on Saturday May 15th!
Reaching Up
Sue Taves
Basalt on Limestone and Steel
Height: 5'-5"
Photo credit: Sue Taves
Medjay
Hank Nelson
Cast Bronze
Height: 7'-1/2"
Photo credit: Burt Beusch
Skinny Red Wiggle
Dan Freeman
Welded and Painted Steel
Height: 7'-9"
Photo credit: Dan Freeman
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About Sue Taves:
Sue blends a unique combination of movement and spirit in each of her sculptures. Her background in physical therapy and lifelong love of nature provides a constant source of inspiration.
Sue has been sculpting in stone since 1995 and in 2004 she moved to Whidbey Island and began sculpting larger scale work. She loves to transform rigid and unyielding stone into soft and fluid lines making the stone irresistible to touch. Art brings depth and balance to Sue's life and provides a connection to her spiritual source.
In the past 16 years Sue has explored working in harder materials such as granite and basalt as well as increasing the scale of her sculpture. Although often inspired by a particular stone, Sue also creates work in series, using her sculpture to explore specific themes relating to the physical world around us such as “Wind” and “Waves.” She has now been working in a new series of sculpture exploring the growth of plants and seeds. Sue spends her time making dust at her studio on South Whidbey Island at Freeland Art Studios.
Web Site: Sue Taves Sculpture
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About Hank Nelson:
Hank Nelson is the sculptor and owner of Cloudstone Sculpture, a sculpture park that features more than 450 pieces of his work on fifty-five acres of land. It is an astounding collection of work in a wide variety of mediums on a placid hilltop near Freeland. His sculptural work includes ‘monumental’ carved granite pieces, bronze, welded steel sculpture, and multi acre earthworks.
Hank grew up on a ranch in Arizona before enlisting in the Navy for six years where he travelled the world. His strong connection to the Southwest and his global experiences triggered his untapped creativity and would later influence his vast variety of work. After the Navy, Hank moved to Santa Fe where he attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He earned his degree in University Studies with an emphasis in Anthropology and Sociology. He also took classes in pottery and sculpture at UNM, which eventually provided his creative outlet.
In the early 80s, Hank enrolled in a program at the University of Washington where he studied metal casting in the UW’s foundry followed by studying marble carving with a master carver in Italy. In 1993 Hank and his wife purchased Cloudstone and began producing hundreds of pieces of work that you can see today.
Intensely private for much of his life, Hank decided to share his work and love of sculpture by creating The Cloudstone Foundation to offer private tours of Cloudstone and workshops in three-dimensional art throughout the year. Visit www.cloudstonefoundation.org to schedule a tour of this remarkable property, learn about our workshops, and hear more about Hank’s fascinating life.
Web Site: Cloudstone Foundation
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About Dan Freeman:
A professional sculptor since 1972, Dan Freeman’s work is shown throughout the Northwest. Dan describes his work as “dreaming with my eyes open.” Using elements found in nature—wood and stone—sometimes combined with the unexpected textures of glass and steel, Dan’s creations celebrate his unique vision and connection to the whole of human experience.
Web Site: Elemental Artwork