Date: July 14, 2011
Contact: Eric Matanyi
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-4044
Fax: (708) 534-8399
E-mail: ematanyi@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
Artwork on the Move at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park
University Park, Illinois, July 14, 2011 - Renewal at Governors State University’s Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park continued last week as two well-known pieces by major artists were moved to new locations. The enhanced positioning makes the art more accessible to visitors.
“Icarus,” a geometric abstract sculpture by Charles Ginnever, was moved from its longtime location near GSU’s Stuenkel Road entrance to a meadow along NMSP’s south walking trail. Terrence Karpowicz’s “Art Ark” was moved from the Hall of Governors to a location just inside the university’s main entrance.
“Just as with other museums, things are always being renewed here,” said Geoffrey Bates, NMSP director and curator. “We are constantly working to improve visitors’ experience with the park and its artwork. That includes seeking new sites to present our sculptures.”
In its original location, Bates said, most viewers experienced “Icarus” in a “drive-by” fashion, with the piece primarily seen as a two-dimensional object. “The new location will allow visitors to see the piece from distance and then, through a series of ‘peekaboo’ manipulations of the landscape, experience it from a variety of approaches before they are finally upon it,” he said.
“Icarus”, created in 1975, is one of the earliest examples of Ginnever’s “Hellenic” group of works. By simply crimping together large sheets of Cor-ten steel and aligning them in a variety of configurations, Ginnever created artworks that set up complex planar relationships resulting in a dynamic presentation of light and shadow.
Bates said the new location for “Art Ark,” a favorite of visitors over the years, also offers a chance to experience the work on a more intimate basis. Its new site sets up a visual dialogue with the lattice-like framework of the over-arching windows in the entry atrium, he said.
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park is located at Governors State University’s main campus in University Park. The park is free of charge and open from dawn to dusk 365 days a year. For more information about the sculpture park, visit www.govst.edu/sculpture or call (708) 534-4486.
