Two New Sculptures at First Citizens Public Sculpture Park

First Citzens Sculputre Park
L – R: “Solar Voyage” by Tom Grub and “Love Bound With Claws” by Paris Alexander

March 6 & 9, 2020

Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to announce the addition of two new sculptures to the First Citizens Sculpture Park on the corner of Middle and Broad streets in downtown New Bern. The new sculptures were created by Tom Grubb and Paris Alexander and will be installed between March 6th and March 9th.

As part of its mission to enhance the cultural experiences of downtown New Bern and Craven Country, Craven Arts Council & Gallery has been involved in public art efforts for more than ten years. This includes their annual Juried Sculpture Exhibition 2013-2017, fundraising for the Whispering Bench now on display at the Riverfront Convention Center, and the outdoor sculpture category as part of the Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition. First Citizens Bank graciously supports the project by allowing Craven Arts to coordinate the installation of rotating public art in the lot, leased from North Carolina sculptors for one year.

Installation of the first new piece will be “Solar Voyager” by Tom Grubb on March 6th. This piece will be constructed of bamboo poles and colored ropes and will feature a solar panel to power lights on the piece at night. Installation will begin in the early morning with the erection of the piece at 1 p.m. Grubb previously installed a large-scale work in the same location in 2012 titled “Morning Star” featuring similar bamboo and rope construction techniques.

Tom and Solar Panel on Bamboo Grid
Tom Grub and Solar Panel on Bamboo Grid

On March 9th, Raleigh-based sculptor Paris Alexander will install “Love Bound With Claws,” a carved limestone and granite piece featuring a variety of textures. Alexander participated in the 2016 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition with “Icarus Stella,” also carved in granite and limestone.

The First Citizens Public Sculpture Park current has three sculptures installed, through the Outdoor Sculpture category of the biennial Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition. Jonathan Bowling’s “Pull Toy” is a large-scale elephant on working wheels created out of upcycled and reclaimed steel. Hanna Jubran has two painted steel pieces on display, titled “In Motion” and “Metamorphosis.” The three current pieces will be returned to the artists and a new set of three put on display in September 2020.

The new works will be on display in the First Citizens Sculpture Park for one year, twenty-four hours a day. Funding for these pieces was graciously provided by Linda and Harry MacDonald and Allison and John Robert Mattocks.

For more information please contact Jonathan Burger, Marketing and Gallery Director, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc. at the Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle St., New Bern, 252-638-2577

Submitted by: Jonathan Burger