Nearly a dozen sculptures tied to the Iowa Writers’ Library aimed at bringing further awareness to Iowa City area as a UNESCO City of Literature will be dedicated this week in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing development.
The city of Coralville will dedicate 11 sculptures at 11 a.m. Saturday on the South Terrace of the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, an Oct. 11 news release said.
A guided walking tour will follow the dedication, which will include participation by several of the sculptors. The sculpture walk — totaling nearly 1.6 miles — is focused on the streets and trails of the district.
The south lot of the Marriott will be open for free parking from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.
The Iowa Writers’ Library, maintained by the Coralville Public Library, is housed inside the Marriott and tied directly to the city’s $145,000 grant from Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Great Places Program. The library has roughly 800 books written by former students, graduates, and faculty of the nationally renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
The city requested proposals from Iowa artists earlier this year before a selection committee issued reviews for durability, price, relationship to the theme, and overall appearance,
The selection committee included Dr. Rami Boutros, Linda Farkas, Mayor Jim Fausett, Jan Finlayson, Alison Ames Galstad, Mitch Gross, Ellen Habel, Kelly Hayworth, Mary Lea Kruse, Christine Scheetz, and Pamela White.
Participating sculptors and their sculptures are:
1. James Anthony Bearden, Des Moines: To Dorothy
2. Anthony Castronovo, Iowa City: After Trillium
3. Sarah Deppe, Maquoketa: Tipping Point
4. Kristin Garnant, Camanche: Gilead
5. MIDWEST PRESSED, Aaron Wilson and Tim Dooley, Cedar Falls: Made of Money
6. Amber O’Harrow, Wellman: Iowa Blue: The Urbane Chicken
7. Dan Perry, Waterloo: Alidade
8. Victoria Ann Reed, Waverly: Convergence
9. Bounnak Thammavong, Swisher: From the River
10. Bounnak Thammavong, Swisher: Prairie Breeze Bench
11. V. Skip Willits, Camanche: A Thousand Acres
— by Quentin Misiag