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Sculpture in the Streets Returns to downtown Albany bringing renewed visual interest to downtown Albany’s sidewalks and pocket parks by locating large works of figural and abstract art throughout the district’s business and entertainment corridors. Click here for details.
After a six-year hiatus, Downtown Albany’s hugely successful temporary public art installation, Sculpture in the Streets, will be reincarnated this summer with a new focus on contemporary local sculpture. The exhibition will be led by a series of three new pieces by internationally renowned area artist Don Gialanella. The newest twist on this classic downtown event is the brainchild of presenting-sponsor Kivort Steel of Waterford, NY, and is presented by the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID). The 3 ½-month installation will also feature 11 works from other local and regional sculptors. Sculpture in the Streets will kick off with a gala Garden Party at downtown’s Tricentennial Park on Tuesday, July 17, and run through the end of October. Sculpture in the Streets brings renewed visual interest to downtown Albany’s sidewalks and pocket parks by locating large works of figural and abstract art throughout the district’s business and entertainment corridors. The exhibit is
being curated by Sarah Martinez, executive director of Albany Center Gallery.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is Don Gialanella’s three-piece “Parallax” series: Head, Man and Totem. Says Gialanella, the sculptures “literally change in appearance as the viewer moves his or her angle of observation. At one point,
the piece ‘Head’ will appear as a series of vertical parallel lines, at another, a huge three dimensional profile of a human head – challenging viewers to examine their understanding of perception.” Gialanella, who lives and works in Cooperstown, NY, has exhibited his sculpture internationally after an Emmy-winning career as network art director at ABC-TV. In 2005, he showed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and in 2006 he was one of 50 sculptors exhibiting in the Palm Beach International Sculpture Biennale. Gialanella’s work is in collections throughout the United States and
owned by individuals as diverse as Uri Geller, Howard Stern, Angelina Jolie and Jimmy Buffet. Sculpture in the Streets will also feature works constructed from steel, brass, cement and “found objects” by the following regional artists: Maria A. Hall, Slingerlands, NY - Matthew Hart, Castleton, NY
- Gary Humphreys, Salem, NY
- Steven Rolf Kroeger, Albany, NY (3 pieces)
- Jim Lewis, Troy, NY
- Leon Smith, Ancramdale, NY (3 pieces)
- Bob Turan, Earlton, NY
Past Sculpture in the Streets exhibits, which featured life-like bronze works by
J. Seward Johnson, Jr., attracted approximately 20,000 viewers per event. The program returns at a time when a groundswell of support for the local arts
scene is taking place throughout Albany and other Capital Region communities.
1st Friday, Albany’s monthly celebration of the arts, will feature Sculpture in the Streets as a key downtown exhibit in August, September and October. “The arts are critical to the revitalization of any urban area, and we’re very pleased to spotlight regional talent with this latest Sculpture in the Streets event,” said Pamela Tobin, executive director of the Downtown Albany BID. “Coupled with downtown’s many galleries, museums, attractions and entertainment venues, these public works of art will underscore our creative and culturally rich community while giving patrons another reason to visit Albany’s revitalized downtown district.” Kivort Steel, headquartered in Waterford, NY, is a full-service warehouse and distributor of steel, stainless steel and aluminum products. “Kivort Steel has been an active part of the Capital Region for decades, and we wanted to do something special for the community as we approach our 70th anniversary,” said Robert Kivort, president of Kivort Steel. “We’ve worked with Don (Gialanella) and supplied him with steel for years. His pieces grace collections around the country and around the world. We think his work is a perfect complement to Albany’s burgeoning arts scene and Sculpture in the Streets seemed like the perfect vehicle.” “It’s a distinct privilege to be able to address a large public audience in the vital urban space of downtown Albany,” said Don Gialanella. “Seeing these sculptures at different times of the day, in changing weather, in the cast shadows of buildings, amongst the activity of pedestrians and traffic, is a particularly exciting prospect. Those visual variables combine to create magic in the eye of the beholder, not conventionally available in a museum or gallery setting.” Major funding for Sculpture in the Streets is provided by Kivort Steel, Axiom Capital, O’Connell & Aronowitz and Increte of Albany. The Sculpture in the Streets Garden Party takes place on Tuesday, July 17 from 6:00-9:00pm at Tricentennial Park at Broadway and Columbia Street. Attendees
can meet participating artists and take trolley or carriage tours of the sculptures. Food will be provided by Angelo’s 677 Prime. A silent auction will feature reduced stainless steel models of Don Gialanella’s three “Parallax” sculptures, along with
gift certificates and merchandise from area businesses. RSVP by calling the Downtown Albany BID at 518-465-2143 ext. 16. For more information about Don Gialanella, visit www.donsculpture.com.
For more information about Kivort Steel, visit www.kivortsteel.com. For more information on Sculpture in the Streets, visit www.downtownalbany.org.
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