Mary McPherson, Joplin, fastens a tile to a large mural at Spiva Center for the Arts.

Blown glass by Todd Nelson

Even the most monumental works of art start out small. That’s the premise behind Private Eyes/Public Views, the Main Gallery exhibit that opens to the public Saturday, January 19, and runs through Sunday, February 24.

Sponsored by Images in Tile and ProArt Mall, the exhibit features scale models, installation photographs, and video documentaries that record the process behind monumental public art projects from across the country.

Sculptors Carol Fleming, David L. Phelps, Bill Snow, Bob Tommey, and Larry Young are featured through maquettes (small three-dimensional models) of their large-scale installations. The work of artists Jean Blackburn and A.J. Wood are represented in murals produced by Images in Tile.

Fleming designs site-specific and one-of-a-kind artworks in clay. Over the past twenty years her work has been placed in numerous residential, educational, and corporate landscapes. A model for “Lookout Point,” which she created for the city of Columbia, MO, will be among several of her works displayed at Spiva.

Artist David Phelps is known internationally for contemporary figurative artwork in bronze and other materials. One highly visible public art commission is his gigantic Desert Wildlife series, permanently installed inside McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, NV. The installation depicts five animals native to the surrounding desert. Two of the desert animals are among five of his works featured in Private Eyes/Public Views.

The work of Carthage sculptor Bill Snow ranges from small pieces to monumental bronze and limestone sculptures. One of Snow’s most well-known local pieces, “Compassion,” was created in 1996 for St. John’s Hospital in Joplin. The 15-1/2 ft. tall, 2.2 ton sculpture began as the 24-inch clay model on display.

Working with Snow, well-known western artist and sculptor Bob Tommey created the model for a 7-foot tall bronze sculpture of zoologist Marlin Perkins in 1986. The Carthage native was the originator and narrator of the pioneering television series, "Wild Kingdom." The completed sculpture was dedicated in 1988 in Central Park in Carthage. Tommey is loaning a bust of Perkins, and maquettes from his most recent undertaking, a life-size sculpture of a tiger for Carthage High School.

Columbia, MO, artist Larry Young has placed more than 50 monumental outdoor sculptures nationally and abroad. Most of his work is in bronze, but he also works with stainless steel, marble, and other materials. He owns and operates a full-scale, 6,000 square foot foundry where he casts most of his work, unusual for sculptors who create monumental bronzes. A video of Young’s casting process will be available for viewing as part of the exhibit.

In addition to sponsoring the exhibit, Images in Tile reproduced six public art projects installed in locations as diverse as New York City’s Times Square; the Sarasota, Florida, Whole Foods store; Detroit Tigers Stadium; and the Brunswick, Georgia, airport.

The tile murals often begin with original art, such as Jean Blackburn’s work for Whole Foods. Her pieces—combining swirling, unusual elements and vibrant colors in Florida-themed illustrations—were installed to meet a public art requirement set by the city of Sarasota. A.J. Wood’s mural, “The Golden Isles,” was drawn from old maritime maps and transferred to tile for installation in the Brunswick (GA) Airport.

With a growing international clientele, Images in Tile was named Small Industry of the Year in 2007 by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce. Owners Paul Whitehill and Mary McPherson, and senior graphic artist A.J. Wood, are enthusiastic about participating in Private Eyes/Public Views. In addition to loaning the murals and sponsoring the exhibit, the company will assist Joplin area third graders in creating their own tile masterpieces at Spiva during February field trips.

Spiva Center for the Arts, located at Third and Wall in downtown Joplin. is open to the public Tuesday – Saturday, 10am–5pm, and Sunday, 1–5pm. The Center is closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission to the galleries is by voluntary contribution. Suggested donations are $2 per adult and $1 for school aged children.

Gift Bazaar held over through Saturday, February 16, upstairs at Spiva!

George A. Spiva Center for the Arts
222 W. 3rd Street
Joplin, Mo 64801
Tel: 417-623-0183
Fax: 417-623-3805
www.spivaarts.org


See you at Spiva–where imagination lives!