So often we feel that art must be bold and eye-catching… especially when it’s in the public eye. That is not the case with a series sculptures on Amherst Street that have actually been around for a couple of years. It took a bike ride down Amherst Street just yesterday for me to even notice the two stainless steel sculptures designed by artist Eugene Cunningham. As a matter of fact, a friend pointed them out to me and I naturally assumed that they were new to the street. That was not the case at all, and it made me wonder what other things I had missed in my travels up and down Amherst Street. It turns out that the sculptor who made these works of art shows regularly at Artsphere Studio and Gallery, and that is how one geometric form ended up in front of the gallery and another in front of Max Willig Architect.
I spoke to Artsphere director Doreen DeBoth who told me that she (and others) have been pushing for more sculptures in Black Rock, and while these aren’t necessarily public (because they belong to the gallery), they are meant for public viewing. Come to find out that there is a third Cunningham work made of corten steel on the side of the Artsphere building (see below), and another one is on the way. I am fond of these sculptures, as we don’t often see 3D works of art in our commercial districts. Hopefully that will one day change, with people like Doreen heading up the charge.