The Sculptures
Endeavour
by Chris Plaisted
Endeavor is a new direction for Chris Plaisted since the abstract steel sculpture is based on an actual object. The HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded to Australia and New Zealand on his first voyage of discovery from 1769 to 1771. The Endeavour was a flat-bottomed ship, which made her well-suited to sailing in shallow waters and allowed her to be beached for loading and unloading of cargo and for basic repairs without requiring a dry dock.
Materials: Steel. Made in 2018. Price: $9,900
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Duet’s Dance: Herons in Conversation
by Lee Bell
Lee Bell’s subject matter has remained rooted in themes of nature, feminine beauty and animals. Her sculptures are created with the intent of bringing a figure to life that is both whimsical and elegant simultaneously. A successful piece exudes something of a life force in an apparent though ephemeral personality. The paradox in the work is that the up-cycled material is commonly disposed of in ways that effect the very creatures she is creating. Lee creates her work in an intuitive manner of conversation between up-cycled / recycled materials and a strong affinity for all things in nature.
Materials: Recycled mixed media, steel, compounded cement.
Made in 2022. Price: $20,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
What’s in the Queue?
by Gregory Johnson
Gregory Johnson’s current work focuses on simple, elegant geometric shapes. He likes to sculpt lyrical shapes that suggest things that we see and are familiar with but cannot touch or quantify, like the warmth of the sun, or the energy of a crashing wave. Inspired by curves depicted in life and nature, he likes how they meander and cross over each other. Curves are more happily found in nature than straight lines. By using curves he is sculpting feelings instead of people. He believes this is more challenging and more fun. His emphasis on the circle as a thematic symbol is something artists have been dealing with since the Renaissance. A circle portrays presence in everyday life. A circle in its beauty is a spiritual shape with no beginning, middle or end. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare wrote “The object of art is to give life shape.”
Materials: Mirrored stainless steel. Made in 2018. Price: $17,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Popsicles
By Craig Gray
Craig Gray is from Key West, FL. His focus is connecting community, exploring culture and constructing guideposts of life with art. Weaving a story with the goal of warming the creative soul, and bringing happiness to the heart are just a few of the objectives of my designs. He uses rugged materials incorporating recognizable symbols embracing aspects of a locality to bridge generations of peoples from diverse backgrounds.
Materials: Steel, stucco, wood. Made in 2017.
Purchased with grant funds through Destination Augusta.
Without Limits
by Gus and Lina Ocamposilva
With their sculpture “Without Limits” Gus and Lina Ocamposilva want to honor the perseverance of the human spirit and the relationship between two people who are able to achieve equilibrium, magic and show the perfection of the human being through movement. The Ocamposilva’s remark, “throughout the years we have worked in various media; steel, stainless steel, resin, aluminum… We have also incorporated LED lights into our pieces. Exploring all these different types of media has given us the opportunity to express ourselves in multiple ways through our art, from tabletop size sculptures to 20 ft height sculptures that have been bought by different Cities and Private entities. Although we are always adding different textures, colors and accents to our artworks these unique features allow us to give our pieces a signature look.”
They have 42 permanent Public Art projects commissioned by different cities and private collectors throughout the states. They have shown more than 70 monumental sculptures in juried Public Art exhibitions in many major cities. Augusta, Georgia is the proud owner of their sculpture “Unstoppable”.
Materials: Aluminum, enamels. Made in 2022. Price: $30,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Unstoppable
By Gus and Lina Ocamposilva
Gus and Lina Ocamposilva are from Oldsmar, FL and have worked in various media; clay, cast stone, resin, steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
Their sculpture “Unstoppable” honors the freedom and perseverance of the limitless human spirit with a cheerful attitude toward life to surpass any obstacle without fear, showing the perfection of the human being through movement.
Materials: Aluminum, enamels. Made in 2018.
Donated to Augusta in memory of Jan-Phillip “JP” Knox and Daniel Thomas Perry, Jr.
Maestro / Forever Young
By Larry Schueckler
Larry Schueckler lives in College Station, TX. Maestro: Forever Young, was created as visual stimulus for examining the impact of movement when conveying thoughts, ideas, and even entire stories through the performing arts. The directives of the conductor, which oftentimes are perceived as abstract, have been intentionally magnified during the creation process. The youthful exuberance of a small wide-eyed student bridges the gap of time as the commanding power and authority of the 9′ plus tall maestro exhibits a slight boyish complexion and an insight into how it all began.
Materials: Bronze. Made in 2014.
Donated to the City of Augusta Public Art Collection in 2022.
Hurrying Home
by Charles Brouwer
“Hurrying Home” is one of Charles Brouwer’s “Homebody” sculptures. “Home” is a powerful part of human experience. Sometimes we leave home and sometimes all we can think of is going home. Charles said, “I enjoy the challenge of making art for public art exhibitions and I take it seriously. Artwork in communal settings needs to be about things that we all feel are important – things like beauty, truth, and goodness.”
Charles uses black locust wood for his outdoor sculptures. It is America’s hardest and most naturally long lasting and weather resistant wood, and it is locally available in the Blue Ridge Mountains where he lives and works. He likes using wood because it is the most ordinary and common of all building materials – it’s friendly, warm, and natural. His common materials, methods of working, and universal themes help him feel grounded and connected to the general public. Constructing his sculptures also suggests that he intends to be constructive through his art as he participates in the whole human project, in the here and now, on planet Earth.
Materials: Locust wood, deck screws, preservation stain.
Made in 2015. Price: $7,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Book Bench – A Novel Idea
by Craig Gray
Inspired by the joy of reading, this artwork is stacks of carved granite books with titles selected by the community.
Craig Gray’s goals are connecting community, building cultural relationships, and constructing guideposts of life through art. Ultimately he is weaving a story through sculpture with the objective of warming the creative soul and bringing joyfulness to the heart. He uses rugged materials, incorporating recognizable symbols, embracing aspects of locality to bridge generations of people from diverse walks of life.
Materials: Granite. Made in 2022. Price: $15,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Sun Lion
By D’jean Jawrunner
D’jean Jawrunner is from Tucumcari, NM and views the world microscopically, telescopically, and empirically. Natural and urban realities are community shaping archetypes inspiring dialogue, growth, and human relationships. Horned toads are reptilian unicorns. They are mythical and spiritual… predator and prey… a gift and source of joy to anyone blessed enough to meet one. They play a role in many cultures that is always positive.
Materials: Bronze. Made in 2019.
Purchased by the City of Augusta and with grant funds through Destination Augusta.
Tropical Dream
By Roger Finch
Materials: Steel.
Donated to Augusta by the Finch Family.
Soccer Dude
by Gonz Jove
Soccer Dude was created as a representation of Gonz Jove’s love of soccer. As a player, soccer took him to another world, just as art does for him today. This soccer player is one of a three players that were painted as a mural in a gymnasium at the State University in Bolivia.
Gonz Jove states, “I see Art as expressions of the world we live in. It creates a visual language that transcends time and creates dialogues of social, cultural, and controversial issues that develop a shared social conscience. My function, as the artist, is to communicate these stories with the license of art. The wonder and universal beauty of humanity is a common theme in much of my work. I’m a strong believer that everyone is connected and that the universe exists within us all.”
Materials: Gander Mountain reclaimed lumber, Resin & Lacquer. Made in 2020. Price: $12,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Ruthless
by Flaminio Antonio
This sculpture is composed of hundreds of second-hand pieces of iron and steel that Flaminio Antonio uses to try and restore its beauty and usefulness. This sculpture holds the power to encourage the creativity of the observer and helps them momentarily to forget their worries while also changing the way that we see the things that we throw away. This is something of enormous value for him because art in all its forms has a great therapeutic impact.
Flaminio Antonio remarks, “I’m a passionate artist that values used metal pieces and recycles them by creating a sculpture with multiple items that once were thought of being worthless, are now given a second chance. Most of my life has been dedicated to the fabrication of sculptures made with scrap metal, a material that offers a variety of options with shapes and textures that I try to get the most of on every sculpture. I truly believe that there is a part of me on every sculpture. This labor for me is not only a lifestyle but life itself, a passion inside of me that I don’t want to leave behind.”
Materials: Scrap metal. Made in 2019. Price: $9,500
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Rise
by James E. Weitzel
James Weitzel’s current series of sculptures are Wings in various sizes all made of sculpted copper, with steel, wood, and sometimes leather additions. They evoke thoughts of Angels along with bird references. Wings recall many different things to everyone but for him they have an angelic quality, this idea of flight and our desires to lift ourselves above the sphere of earth. Who does not remember dreams of flying and that sense of ultimate freedom?
Materials: Copper with Patina and painted steel.
Made in 2020. Price: $12,000
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.
Oraiste agus Liath
by Aisling McDonald
This sculpture is an attempt to reconnect with Aisling McDonald’s Irish heritage in multiple ways. The title of the piece translates from Irish as “Orange and Gray”. The colors of the piece are inspired by the Flag of Ireland, known as the Tri-Color, which is divided into three equal vertical sections of green, white, and orange. The Green represents the republic of Ireland, also known as the Free State. The Orange represents Northern Ireland which is still under British Occupation. The White of the flag symbolizes peace between the two political parties. To this day, there is consistent unrest and violence, so peace is not yet a reality, it is a gray area. The two forms are reflective of architecture that is found throughout Ireland including the cusped ogee windows, Gothic archways, and the standing stones. Here, both the positive and negative spaces that are created are equally important and come together to complete the central ellipse.
As an immigrant, Aisling has often felt lost and disconnected to those around her, searching for a sense of place and belonging. Growing up in Ireland, she saw the power that large public works have on the surrounding community, such as the Standing Stones of the Neolithic era, gothic architecture, and the political murals of today. These works inspire many myths and legends, provide spiritual contemplation, commemorate historic events, express complex feelings and beliefs, and define a sense of place. They create and define the community they surround. Her focus is on creating outdoor sculpture so that her work may become part of a community environment and provide that sense of place and belonging to others.
Materials: Steel. Made in 2011. Price: $19,750
On loan to Augusta by the artist. Contact the Greater Augusta Arts Council at 706.826.4702 for info on purchasing.