Art on the Rooftop

press release: Art on the Rooftop is a free exhibition of public sculpture in the William T. Evjue Rooftop Garden at Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center. The exhibit began as an outdoor pilot project in 2014 to help showcase the rooftop as another “must-see” Madison destination. The 2016 exhibit includes seven works by seven different Midwest artists and will be on display through Nov 2016.

John Ready, LaCrescent, Minn. -‘Cluster’

Unlike the other six sculptures in the exhibit, Cluster is located on Olin Terrace, the walkway leading up to the Capitol, and will remain in place until May 2017. This work utilizes jewelry structures and formats, but is produced in large scale seeming as if the element had been left behind by giants or titans. It is generally comprised of ordinary materials, (used pots, pans, lamp parts, ashtrays and bowling balls, etc.), to cause a re-valuation of the materials selected for each location where it is installed.

Nathan Hatch, Baileys Harbor -‘The Watchman’,

This sculpture is purposely ambiguous in order to strengthen the viewer’s attraction to what is not easily definable. Hatch uses the implication of functionality in order to prompt speculation on the part of the viewer. A disconnect from a predicable timeline facilitates the object to be viewed with a new perspective.

Timothy Jorgenson, Cedar Falls, Iowa - ‘Monolith’

Monolith was created with the idea of monolithic formations found throughout history. There are shifts that break the piece into sections as a way to create a sense of shifting time. This piece creates the notion of a human figure based on the placement of the empty hold which is relatively face level to most adults. It gives the notion of the time we as humans have spent on Earth as well as the trials we have experienced.

Sam Spiczka, Sauk Rapids, Minn. - ‘Florette’

Objects in nature that are seemingly symmetrical, but have many anomalies and variations sparked the concept of this piece. What is shown is the conflict between an ideal state and an imperfect reality, which ultimately is the mixture of both the chaos of growth and the geometry of perfection.

Andrew Arvanetes, DeKalb, Ill. -‘Three Red Houses’

Viewers should be able to feel a connection to this piece based on their own personal experiences through universal visual details. The combination of physical scale, personal references and visual details result in a whimsical and absurd reality.

Jacob McGinn, Dunlap, Iowa - Play Things

This work is inspired by things we played with as children and babies. Many of these “toys” are bright bold colored geometric shapes, expressed in the work.

Martha Glowacki, Roxbury – Star Viewing Ring with Orion & Taurus

The Star Viewing Ring was created to frame a particularly fine view of the rural fall landscape with a view of the sky above. This piece was made to encourage viewers to explore the constellations as they pass through the sky this summer.

Curator David Wells is Gallery Director at Edgewood College in charge of the art gallery program and permanent collection since August 2013. He previously served as Executive Director of Edenfred, the creative residency program of the Terry Family Foundation, in Madison from 2004 through 2010. He is also the curator for the visual art exhibits for Sundance Cinemas Madison. He has exhibited across the United States as well as in Mexico, Japan and Czech Republic, with numerous solo installation exhibits in Southern California and Wisconsin.