Spring means an eclectic mix of new sculptures are arriving in Downtown St. Joseph, Missouri, for the 10th annual Allied Arts Council Sculpture Walk 2023-24! This year’s selections celebrate beauty and creative storytelling with surprises around every corner for the viewer to enjoy. The Allied Arts Council, in partnership with the City of St. Joseph and the St. Joseph Downtown Community Improvement District, sponsors this annual public arts project.
Among the new arrivals is Say Cheese, a mixed-media sculpture by Justin Deister of Louisville, Colorado, that is sure to inspire smiles of recognition.
“Say Cheese was inspired by children. It expresses what every kid does with macaroni and cheese noodles. Is there a kid who hasn't loaded a fork this way? Of course, stuffing as many noodles in your mouth as possible comes just after the accomplishment I’ve sculpted,” said Deister.
Motherly Love, another new arrival, is the work of Fostoria, Ohio, sculptor Gedion Nyanhongo. Sculpted from spring stone, this sculpture depicts a very relatable scene. “With this sculpture I tried to express the intense closeness of the bond between a mother and a child that exists in all cultures,” said Nyanhongo.
Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby of Aberdeen, South Dakota work in bronze and their approach brings high realism to their "Americana" sculptures. This year, their Fence Line Stretch will be featured on the Sculpture Walk. It depicts a farmer who has brought his horse and his 1896 John Deer plow across his 10 acre field. He stops to stretch his back, mop the perspiration from his face and contemplate how much daylight is left.
“We create bronze figurative sculptures that capture a moment in time. We pay close attention to each detail,” said Leuning and Treeby.
The Sculpture Walk is a year-long exhibit of juried, outdoor sculptures in Downtown St. Joseph. This year’s 21 sculptures feature stunning works of art created by artists from across North America, including pieces by Missouri sculptors. Viewers of the sculpture walk are encouraged to vote for their favorite sculpture by completing the ballot found in the walking tour brochure and dropping it off in one of the ballot boxes downtown or by dropping it off at the Allied Arts office, 118 S. 8th Street. Voters will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win one of two gift baskets filled with goodies provided by Downtown St. Joseph merchants, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Allied Arts Council member agencies!
Everyone is invited to join in the guided “First Walk” on Wednesday, June 14. Walkers will meet at the corner of 8th and Felix at 6:30 p.m.
This Allied Arts Council program is made possible through a partnership with the City of St. Joseph, the St. Joseph Downtown Community Improvement District, business sponsors, and Friends of the Sculpture Walk.
For more information visit the Allied Arts Council’s website, www.stjoearts.org, or contact Teresa Fankhauser at teresa.fankhauser@stjoearts.org, or 816-233-0231.
The Allied Arts Council was organized in 1963 to provide service to St. Joseph area arts organizations, artists, and the general public. The Council has since grown into a federation of sixteen arts agencies and now produces community arts programs, raises funds, promotes public awareness, and provides service and support to its member agencies. The Allied Arts Council seeks to make St. Joseph a better place to live through the arts, and its mission is to provide leadership and support for the arts and to its member organizations.