Iowa City, IA
Home MenuIowa City Sculptors Showcase
The Sculptor Showcase is an annual public art program that gives Iowa sculptors the opportunity to showcase their work around the Iowa City community for a two year period. The City of Iowa City’s Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) selects sculptures based on submissions to be put on display for the public's enjoyment.
Complete the Sculptor's Showcase Chase: a scavenger hunt challenging you to visit all 8 locations to win a prize! Learn more at: www.icgov.org/publicart.
There are eight locations scattered throughout the community at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, along the Iowa River Trail, in Riverfront Crossings Park, and at Mercer and Scott parks. View the map for specific locations.
More information about the selected sculptures and artists are below. Individuals interested in purchasing pieces after the display period is up may contact artists directly to inquire.
Poppy - Tim Adams
on exhibit at Scott ParkThe pink poppy flower is found in cultures around the world. In art and literature, the poppy symbolizes peace, the beauty of nature and the fragility of life. The curved stems and pink petals remind us to slow down and live in the moment.
The artist, Tim Adams is a 1985 Landscape Architecture graduate of Iowa State University and is a Registered Professional Landscape Architect. Tim is a lifelong student of the arts. His career has been built around creating and installing "One Off" sculptures and designs for gardens, entry features, parks, churches, municipalities, and schools. Tim's primary medium is weathered steel, stainless steel, aluminum, acrylic sheet/Lexan, and native limestone. Tim's inspiration comes from his professional training in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture plus his frequent skiing trips. Natural landforms and native plants are the starting points for Tim's sculpture concepts. To foster sustainability, Tim strives to incorporate recycled metals and repurposed materials when practical. His works are designed and constructed to be stout, long-term installations with little or no maintenance needed.
Connect with Tim Adams: www.timadamsartist.net and @timadamsart on Instagram
Exuberance - Tim Adams
on exhibit at Mercer Park
Exuberance is a reminder of the joy and energy that is available to each of us. We live in challenging times and often forget to notice the beauty and good surrounding us. This piece uses bright colors and shiny materials that reflect the sun and capture the spirit of a zest for life. Artist Tim Adams hopes this piece gives viewers a moment of happiness -- and maybe puts a smile on their face!
Learn more about Tim Adams and his work at: www.timadamsartist.net and @timadamsart on Instagram
Life Leaf – Hilde DeBruyne
on exhibit along the Iowa River Trail, near the McCollister Bridge pedestrian underpass
Life Leaf beautifully captures the delicate and intricate details of an oak leaf. The rusted patina of the corten steel adds a unique and earthy touch to the sculpture, standing out against the natural backdrop of the Iowa River and Iowa River Trail.
Hilde DeBruyne is a Belgian-American artist living in Cumming, Iowa. She is a sculptor and designer in clay, metal, and bronze. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is included in public and private collections. She has successfully completed multiple public art installations throughout Iowa, California, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Belgium. She uses mild steel, Corten steel, stainless or aluminum and usually enriches the work with the use of bold, attractive colors. Overall, her artwork has an authentic, energetic, warm, and welcoming feel to it. She usually works around a certain theme and explores this theme throughout a series of works.
Connect with Hilde: www.hildedebruyne.com or @hildedebruyneart on Facebook and Instagram.
GAIA – Hilde DeBruyne
On exhibit at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, near the playground and trail entrance
In Greek mythology, Gaia is considered the mother of all life and the soul of the earth. This piece is a visual inspiration and reminder that our planet is beautiful and precious, and, as its current caretakers, we need to take steps to better protect it. We can all help by making conscious choices that can ensure the preservation of our environment for future generations to enjoy.
Learn more about Hilde at www.hildedebruyne.com or @hildedebruyneart on Facebook and Instagram.
Mechanics of Grace – Kristin Garnant
On exhibit at Riverfront Crossings Park
This towering tube is constructed of 12-gauge Corten steel. The rusted patina on this 8-foot-high column deepens the interior space; offering the viewer a hollow cylinder that unfolds as it ascends.
With a background in graphic arts, Kristin Garnant has dealt with the design and construction of books, black and white photography, letterpress and offset printing. They use their design background to create pieces in metal. The distinct quality of steel and the combinations of textures reveal unique compositions much like the layering of fine handmade papers. Reinterpreting ideas in metal can turn the most ordinary form on its head and give it a distinctly new identity.
Connect with Kristin at https://ezimmon.wixsite.com/kgarnant or kgarnant@aol.com
Pillars[1] – Johnathan Goupell
On exhibit at Riverfront Crossings Park
Pillars[1] is an invitation to focus. Our current society has our attention so pulled in fragmented, discrete, and fleeting moments that it hardly gives us time to make sense of what we are seeing and experiencing. It is the artist’s hope that this work will allow the viewer a chance to reflect and consider what is seen not only in the work but what is around them and what they bring to the piece. The borders of the pillar focus the eye… but it is what is inside that is brought to life by the active participant!
Connect with Johnathan @formfitmetal on Instagram.
Flight of Butterflies – v.skip willits
On display at Riverfront Crossings Park
Once, in a forest early in the morning as the sun was coming up, the artist saw a thousand butterflies sleeping in a mulberry tree. Their wings wet with dew, glistening in the rising sunshine, they suddenly burst upward all at once heading for the open sky.
The things that v.skip make are integral parts of who the artist is. The welding technique used to create their work was taught to them by their father who was a shop welder for 40 years. In 1983, they created their first large scale public sculpture. Yearly, v.skip participates in numerous outdoor public exhibitions and produces commissioned work across the USA, Canada and Europe. v.skip lives and works, happily, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Their work contains the strands of my identity and directly reflect my experiences so far.
Connect with Skip at artistskip@aol.com
Writing Figure – v.skip willits
On display along the Iowa River Trail, south of the Highway 6 bridge
“Sometimes I like to write on my sculptures. Nothing profane, no demands or commands. Usually just things that are so about my life or song lines I’ve been singing in the studio.” – v.skip willits, artist
Connect with Skip at artistskip@aol.com