Village of Shorewood Celebrates Gift of Plensa Sculpture

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Public Dedication Ceremony on September 21 To Include Visit by Artist

A public sculpture by the internationally known Spanish artist Jaume Plensa will be dedicated at Atwater Park (at the intersection of Capitol Dr. and Lake Dr.), in Shorewood, Wis. on Tuesday, September 21 as part of the Village’s new public art initiative. The dedication ceremony for “Spillover II” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. when the public is invited to attend “Plensa in the Park,” a celebration that will include food, drinks and comments by the artist.

Shorewood’s new major art acquisition is an 8-1/2 ft. crouching human form with rounded contours that sits on a two-feet-high concrete pedestal. The letters that form the open framework suggest that language is our primary tool for experiencing the world and each other, and that we are, essentially, both limited and empowered by this abstract means of translating our experiences. “Spillover II” will be lit from within and will glow at night, acting as a subtle beacon for the park and providing a focal point at the end of the Village’s busiest street.

Plensa’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. In the Midwest, his most famous and recognizable work, The Crown Fountain, is in Chicago’s Millennium Park. This work consists of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of 50-ft., glass-block towers. Digital video images/faces of a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens are projected on the towers, with water flowing through an outlet in the center of the screen, giving the illusion of water spouting from the mouths of the faces.

Shorewood’s Plensa sculpture is the first work of art in a comprehensive, though still developing, plan initiated by the Shorewood Public Art Committee, formed in 2001. “Spillover II” was made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor. Additional sponsorships include the Shorewood Foundation, the Shorewood Men’s Club, the Village of Shorewood Marketing Program and the Village of Shorewood. Sponsors of the dedication event on September 21 are Coalesse and Bentley Prince Street.

The “Plensa in the Park” dedication on Tuesday, September 21 will feature a personal visit from the artist. The public is invited to attend from 6-8 p.m. Spread out a blanket or grab a picnic bench and enjoy the festivities on the night of the Equinox. Beverages and a limited menu will be sold at the event by Hubbard Park Lodge. For more information, please contact Dick Eschner, Public Art Committee Chair, at 414.964.4504 or rceschner@sbcglobal.net

A post-party fundraiser to benefit Public Art Shorewood will be held after the dedication from 7:30-9 p.m. at the home of James and Vida Langenkamp in Shorewood. Refreshments will be catered by Hubbard Park Lodge and music will be provided by Shorewood High School student musicians. Attendance is limited to 150 people and the cost is $50 per person. To request an invitation, contact Pat Algiers at algiers@sbcglobal.net or 414.963.1613.