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Sculptures on the Square - Encore 2010
I use my art to convince you of something that isn't real. You laugh at yourself because you were taken in, and in that, change of your perception. You become vulnerable to the piece and intimate with it in a certain way.
~Seward Johnson
In an effort to nurture the arts and provide a community experience for local residents and tourists alike, the Auburn Arts Commission, Inc. is presenting "Sculptures on the Square - Encore" for three months during the summer of 2010.
These sculptures are the works of Seward Johnson, an American sculptor whose uncannily realistic figures capture everyday human gestures. Johnson's life-size cast bronze sculptures have been featured in private collections and museums around the world.
Located in Historic Downtown Auburn
View Auburn Sculptures in a larger map
Seward Johnson - American Realist
In 1968, after an early career as a painter, Seward Johnson turned his talents to the medium of sculpture. Since then, more than 250 of Johnson's life-size cast bronze figures have been featured in private collections and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as in prominent public placements such as Rockefeller Center and the new Liberty Plaza in New York City, Pacific Place, Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris, and Via Condotti in Rome.
One of Jonson's most dramatic works -- and certainly his largest -- is the 70's giant entitled "The Awakening". This sculpture was selected for the 1980 International Sculpture Conference Exhibition in Washington D.C. and will soon be relocated to National Harbor in Maryland.
Best known for his life-sized sculptures of ordinary people expressed through contemporary life situations, in the past decade Johnson has focused his artistic craft and creative energy on a series of life-scale three-dimensional renderings of famous Impressionist masterworks, incorporating humorous touches not seen on the canvas.
In addition, Seward Johnson is the founder of Grounds for Sculpture, a 35 acre art park in Hamilton, New Jersey, featuring works by notable contemporary sculptors.
Video & Photo
A crew installed a 25-foot-tall sculpture to start the Sculptures on the Square exhibit. |
Attractions arrived in Auburn for "Sculptures on the Square 2010: Encore!" |
Submit Your Sculpture Photos
Share your Sculptures on the Square 2010 – Encore 2010 photos with other exhibit fans and KPC Media Group online readers. Click here to email your photos to James Tew to be included in an online photo gallery that will be displayed on this page.
Sculpture Story Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the Sculpture Stories contest and thank you to each of the 37 people who entered the creative writing contest sponsored by KPC Media Group Inc. and the DeKalb County Community Foundation.
"Wow! There were some exceptional entries!" wrote judge James Watkins. "The winners of this year's contest wave their words as magic wands to bring life to cold, inanimate metal objects and create warm-hearted human beings with emotionally moving stories."
Here are Watkins' comments:
- The two top (adult) winners, through creative alchemy, truly bring the statues to life as they explore life and death. Second place, Scott Sprunger, 37, looks at a terminal illness with creativity and compassion. First place, Julia Tipton, 49, shares first-person insights into Alzheimer's with "The Strolling Professor."
- Second honorable mention, Natasha Hayden, 27, takes a simple act of window-washing and causes us to look through the glass into lives smudged with pain and loss.
- Third honorable mention, Mary Jane Smith, 69, writes from the actual statue's point of view in a warm and witty entry.
- First honorable mention, Teri Timmerman, 48, uses delightful dialogue between a grandmother and grandchild to explore young-and old-love.
- First place (in the children's division), MaKayla Schannen, 12, writes about love, loss and war with depth and emotion, also, well beyond her young age.
- Second place, Bria Warren, 11, shows skill in dialogue and scene well beyond her age.
- Children honorable mention, Jack Bassett, 12, brings Auburn in 1932 to life with his essay.
Watkins, a Christian author and speaker, wrote for a popular column for this newspaper a number of years ago when he lived in this area. His website is jameswatkins.com.
"Sculptures on the Square 2010: Encore!" is on display in downtown Auburn through Sept. 15. There is no charge to view and enjoy 13 life-size bronze works by sculptor Seward Johnson and the 25-foot statue of a dancing couple at Sixth and Jackson streets. The Auburn Arts Commission is presenting the exhibit through Sept. 15. A welcome center at 138 E. Seventh St. has walking-tour maps and educational exhibits.
Age 13 & Older
1st Place - "The Strolling Professor"
Julia Tipton, 49
The sun feels warm today. The sky is as blue as I have ever seen it. I feel some comfort in this ritual of mine. I wake up, eat a bit of fruit, toast with jam, coffee sprinkled with enough half and half to add color. Read more...
2nd Place - "The Photo Shoot"
Scott Sprunger, 37
"Ready?" her crouching husband called. Their son, Willie, stood by her side, playing with Roscoe their Weiner dog. She wore a sweater, and had insisted the guys wore jackets. Read more...
Honorable Mention - "Time Freeze"
Teri Timmerman, 48
"Look Grandma, we've finished our tour and those two are still smooching. How sickening is that?" "Well now it might not seem so awful to you in a few years Janie. I might have to remind you how 'sickening it is' hmm?" Read more...
Honorable Mention - "I See You"
Natasha Hayden, 27
I saw my granddaughter for the first time in the reflection of a dirty, darkly tinted window. I knew it was she because she was with her mother, and no one could mistake Lacy's accompanying atmosphere of style and superiority. Read more...
Honorable Mention - "Here I go again"
Mary Jane Smith, 69
"Here I go again," the man muttered to himself, when he was pushed into the semi truck by two men who did this to him at least once a year. Each time it occurred he thought it might be the last for a year or two. Read more...
Age 12 & Younger
1st Place - "The maniac on 5th Avenue"
MaKayla Schannen, 12
Gloomy, hazy days have passed ever since war was declared with Japan. Many have been listening to the radio for updates on the war. Read more...
2nd Place - "I'll never forget"
Bria Warren, 11
Spring, 1942 "No, no, David, you can't!" Emma whispered. "You can't just leave me here!" "Emma, you don't understand." David spoke softly, but firmly. "I have to go." Read more...
Honorable Mention - "A day of a lifetime"
Jack Bassett, 12
It was a very typical last day of school at Tri State University for the 1934 students in professor Stanley Stackhouse's chemistry class. All the students were going on and on about their summer plans. Read more...