Glory (sculpture)

Last updated
Glory
Glory Sculpture Proper Front.jpg
ArtistGarry R. Bibbs
Year1999
Type Bronze and steel
Dimensions24 m× 12 m× 0.30 m(80 ft× 40 ft× 1 ft)
Location IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Glory is a sculpture created by American artist Garry R. Bibbs in 1999. The sculpture is installed above the entrance to the J. F. Miller Center, at the corner of West Michigan Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Glory is made from fabricated steel and bronze. Angels and trumpets are the two distinct images visible within the sculpture. The sculpture is very large, with dimensions of 80 ft x 40 ft x 1 ft. Gibbs signed his name to the sculpture and included a copyright sign.

Contents

Commission

The sculpture was commissioned by Joseph F. Miller, founder of the J. F. Miller Center. The dedication date is listed as March 1999. The Center on West Michigan Street used to house the Second Baptist Church, one of the city's oldest African-American Baptist churches, until it moved in 2002. The building was renovated to house offices, as the Miller Center, which commissioned the sculpture. [1]

Bibbs drew inspiration from the Bible's Book of Ezekiel, from African-American heritage and from an African-American medical clinic located nearby. [2]

Artist

Garry R. Bibbs is an associate professor, head of sculpture and director of graduate studies at the University of Kentucky. He received a Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship, which allowed him to study with internationally renowned sculptor Richard Hunt, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois. He was recipient of a 1996 Southern Arts Federation, National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship for Outstanding Printmaker in the Southern States. His exhibition history includes showings at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Raus in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Hertz Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky, the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. His works are in the collections of the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois, ATT Corporation–York City, Brown-Forman Corporation, Commonwealth Insurance, the Brown-Williamson Tobacco Corporation, the Robert Derden Collection, the Richard Hunt Collection, the Louisville City Fire Department and the Living Arts and Science Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Bibbs a member of the Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative, a coalition group in Lexington whose goal is to confront and solve issues relevant to the community on race relations and leadership. He received a Bachelor of Science from Kentucky State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Kentucky before his postdoctoral work at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. [3]

Artist statement

In his artist's statement for another sculpture, Bibbs wrote, "Through my art, I want to share honesty about my human experiences, my African American heritage and my environment, whether it is good, bad or indifferent. Life is so precious, so it is important that my viewers feel enlightened, uplifted and free. They should be made aware that there is an answer, a power and a glory. So live a good life and be gracious in God’s creative beauty, which we are given to use as we call, the ARTS." [4]

According to Glory-June Greiff, who wrote the book Remembrance, Faith And Fancy, Garry R. Bibbs drew on "the building's past using images of angels and trumpets of Gabriel - or are they from long gone jazz clubs of nearby Indiana Avenue?" [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Rogers Clark</span> American military officer and surveyor (1752–1818)

George Rogers Clark was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Virginia militia in Kentucky throughout much of the war. He is best known for his captures of Kaskaskia in 1778 and Vincennes in 1779 during the Illinois campaign, which greatly weakened British influence in the Northwest Territory and earned Clark the nickname of "Conqueror of the Old Northwest". The British ceded the entire Northwest Territory to the United States in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorado Taft</span> American sculptor, writer and educator (1860–1936)

Lorado Zadok Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, The History of American Sculpture, was the first survey of the subject and stood for decades as the standard reference. He has been credited with helping to advance the status of women as sculptors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Gummer</span> American sculptor (born 1946)

Don Gummer is an American sculptor. His early work concentrated on table-top and wall-mounted sculpture. In the mid-1980s, he shifted his focus to large free-standing works, often in bronze. In the 1990s, he added a variety of other materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum and stained glass. His interest in large outdoor works also led him to an interest in public art. He is the husband of actress Meryl Streep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Louisville)</span>

The Union Station of Louisville, Kentucky is a historic railroad station that serves as offices for the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), as it has since mid-April 1980 after receiving a year-long restoration costing approximately $2 million. It was one of at least five union stations in Kentucky, amongst others located in Lexington, Covington, Paducah and Owensboro. It was one of three stations serving Louisville, the others being Central Station and Southern Railway Station. It superseded previous, smaller, railroad depots located in Louisville, most notably one located at Tenth and Maple in 1868-1869, and another L&N station built in 1858. The station was formally opened on September 7, 1891 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. There was a claim made at the time that it was the largest railroad station in the Southern United States, covering forty acres. The other major station in Louisville was Central Station, serving the Baltimore and Ohio, the Illinois Central and other railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hunt (sculptor)</span> American artist and sculptor

Richard Howard Hunt is an American sculptor. In the second half of the 20th century, he became "the foremost African-American abstract sculptor and artist of public sculpture." Hunt, the descendant of enslaved people brought through the port of Savannah from West Africa, studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1950s, and while there received multiple prizes for his work. He was the first African American sculptor to have a retrospective at Museum of Modern Art in 1971. Hunt has created over 160 public sculpture commissions in prominent locations in 24 states across the United States, more than any other sculptor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 NCAA Division I basketball tournament</span> Edition of USA college basketball tournament

The 1980 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 6, 1980, and ended with the championship game on March 24 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. A total of 48 games were played, including a national third-place game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forcht Group of Kentucky</span>

Forcht Group of Kentucky(pronounced "fork") is a group of companies principally owned by Terry E. Forcht, with corporate headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky and Corbin, Kentucky. The corporation employs more than 2,100 people in many companies specializing in banking and financial services, insurance, nursing homes and health care, broadcasting and print media, retail, data and Web design services, real estate and construction. Forcht Group of Kentucky officially changed its name from First Corbin Financial Corporation on November 10, 2007. The company also sponsors "The Forcht Group of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Leadership" lecture series which began in 2005 at University of the Cumberlands, where Terry Forcht formerly taught business.

<i>Anatomy Vessels</i> (Saplings)

Anatomy Vessels (Saplings), 2003–05, is a public sculpture created by Indiana-based artist Eric Nordgulen (American born 1959), Associate Professor of Sculpture at Herron School of Art and Design. The sculpture is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus at the Herron School of Art and Design, 735 W. New York Street in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. It was selected in 2005 for the Herron Gallery first Sculpture Biennial Invitational to be exhibited in the Herron Sculpture Gardens. The two-part cast and fabricated bronze sculpture represents two life size sapling trees with bound root balls.

21c Museum Hotels is a contemporary art museum and boutique hotel chain based in Louisville, Kentucky. The chain also has locations in Lexington, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Bentonville, Arkansas; Durham, North Carolina; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Missouri; and Nashville, Tennessee. Each of these nine properties comprises a boutique hotel, a contemporary art museum, and a restaurant. It was acquired by the French hotel group Accor in July 2018 for $51 million.

Gary Freeman (1937–2014), is an American sculptor from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is Professor Emeritus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and served as head of the Herron School of Art Sculpture Department for 33 years, from 1968 until his retirement in 2001.

<i>Indiana Limestone</i> (Doddoli)

Indiana Limestone, a public sculpture by Italian-American artist Adolfo Doddoli, is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, which is near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The sculpture is located on the east corner of the north side of the lecture hall under the overhang. The lecture hall is located at 325 University Boulevard in Indianapolis, Indiana. The sculpture was commissioned for the Indianapolis University-Purdue University Indianapolis's (IUPUI) campus in the mid-1970s. It was installed by the artist.

<i>Reunion</i> (Gummer)

Reunion, a public sculpture by Don Gummer, is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, located near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The sculpture consists of two interlocking metal forms that have separate bases that eventually unite with one another. Reunion is located on the east side of the Herron School of Art and Design and is approximately 253 cm in height and approximately 167 cm wide. Reunion was created in 1992 as a model for a larger Reunion sculpture located in Japan. Reunion is made from cast bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Spaulding (artist)</span> American artist (1942–2004)

John A. Spaulding was an American artist and sculptor from Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born in Lockefield Gardens, an Indianapolis public housing project on Indiana Avenue, which was known for its jazz clubs. Two of Spaulding's sculptures, Jammin' on the Avenue and Untitled , are located near his birthplace and celebrate the area's musical heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Prather Thum</span> Painter and art critic (1853–1926)

Patty Prather Thum was an American artist from Louisville, Kentucky known for her landscapes, paintings of roses, and book illustrations. She studied art at Vassar College and the Art Students League of New York and maintained a portrait and landscape studio in Louisville for 35 years. She taught art, illustrated books and magazines, was an inventor, served as the president of the Louisville Art League, member of the Louisville Women's Club, and was the art critic for the Louisville Herald until 1925.

Tom Torluemke is an Indiana-based, contemporary American artist. His practice spans 30 years and includes works in painting, drawing, sculpture and installations in a variety of mediums. He is known for his powerful, no holds barred approach to subject matter relating to socio-political, ethical and humanistic themes.

Vera Klement is an American artist, and Professor Emerita at the University of Chicago. She was a 1981 Guggenheim Fellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennie C. Jones</span> American artist

Jennie C. Jones is an African-American artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has been described, by Ken Johnson, as evoking minimalism, and paying tribute to the cross-pollination of different genres of music, especially jazz. As an artist, she connects most of her work between art and sound. Such connections are made with multiple mediums, from paintings to sculptures and paper to audio collages. In 2012, Jones was the recipient of the Joyce Alexander Wien Prize, one of the biggest awards given to an individual artist in the United States. The prize honors one African-American artist who has proven their commitment to innovation and creativity, with an award of 50,000 dollars. In December 2015 a 10-year survey of Jones's work, titled Compilation, opened at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Matthews</span> American sculptor and painter

Amanda Matthews is an American sculptor and painter from Louisville, Kentucky, United States, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

References

  1. "Bibbs'art work searches for truth, humanity". UK News. May 3, 1999. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  2. Discover Indiana Avenue (2000). "Rhythm Reborn. Outdoor Sculpture Jazzed Up with Art". Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  3. Garry R, Bibbs (2009). "The Art Work of Garry Bibbs". Garry R, Bibbs. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  4. Kentucky Arts Council (August 11, 2007). "Public Art Project". The Official State Government Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  5. Arts Council of Indianapolis (2009). "Meet Indy Arts". The Arts Council of Indianapolis. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2009.

39°46.471′N086°9.966′W / 39.774517°N 86.166100°W / 39.774517; -86.166100