The public is invited to a free reception on the Cultural Center's front lawn on Saturday, July 12, from 2 to 4 pm to celebrate two exciting outdoor additions:  "Quadrapass" P, the newest addition to the Center's 30th Anniversary Sculpture Park, and a new forged handrail for the front steps.  

 

"Quadrapass" P is a large steel sculpture in two parts made by Atlanta artist Charlie Smith.  Already installed in the sculpture park, it is gathering lots of attention from passers-by and Cultural Center visitors from its soaring position under the huge trees on the lawn.  Selected for the park by Angela Nichols, curator at the Cultural Center, it will remain on the lawn for several months.  "I first became aware of Charlie's work through the Atlanta Printmakers Studio, which shares a studio space in Atlanta with the artist.  After a few conversations with Charlie, I became intrigued by the collaborative nature of his work and invited him to be a part of the sculpture park," explained Nichols.  Mr. Smith has a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art and has been involved in creating cutting edge art shows and projects for over twenty years.

 

The new blacksmith handrail also being dedicated was forged by nineteen blacksmithers in memory of Floyd Daniel and his wife Cordelia, whose dedication to the trade made lasting impressions on these fellow tradesmen.  For many years, the Cultural Center has hosted a bi-annual blacksmith exhibit with artisans on the lawn demonstrating their craft;  for most of those years, Mr. Daniel was instrumental in helping organize the event.  The permanent handrail is a fitting honor to Mr. Daniel who gave so much of himself to the trade that he loved.  Michael Dillon of Dillon Forge led the project and crafted the main railing, and each rung was created by one of the nineteen artists:   Ben Bradshaw, Tom Clark, Tom Davenhall, Michael Dillon, Mike Dowell, Bill Durrett, Dimitri Gerakaris, Kris Graper, Buster Grubbs, Lloyd Hendricks, Mark Hopper, Ron Howard, Jeff Mohr, John Myers, Bill Richardson, Clay Spencer, Stan Strickland, Big Bob Watt, and Jack Wheeler.