Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission - Public Art

Currently Installed Public Art

Permanent or Temporary Loaned Art

(Click pictures to view larger)

Ken Wright

Two paintings, one installed in the Western Branch Russell Memorial Library and one in the new Clarence V. Cuffee Library in Campostella. Ken was introduced to the Conference Center Director by the Fine Arts Coordinator, when it first opened. Wright was commissioned along with three other artists for large pieces in the Conference Center. (Bob Holland, Karen Kinser, and Pat Kirby are all well known Hampton Roads artists).

UPATE: January 2008 – A large Ken Wright painting in the WB Russell Memorial Library has been purchased by the Public Art Committee and will remain on permanent loan to the Russell Memorial Library.

 

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Rita Marlier

Two ceramic figures are installed in Deep Creek's Major Hillard Library where her large "Read to Me" bronze cast sculpture is housed at the outside entrance. Casting was in collaboration with Kevin Gallup at the Old Dominion University foundry. The Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission was one of the donors who made this commissioned piece possible for the opening of the library.

 

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Girl on a Globe

A pair of large bronze cast statues of a young girl sitting on a world globe reading and holding a book was purchased for both the Indian River Library and the Major Hillard Library.

The Indian River Library will hold a contest to name the little "girl on a globe" and the Public Art Committee will present the individual who wins the contest with a US Savings Bond. A plaque was presented to the Library Manager by members of the Public Art Committee with a space for the name of the statue when it is selected!

 

 

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Dr. Rod Taylor

Past Chair of the Norfolk State University art department has loaned three pieces to the city. Two sculptures are on display in the 6th floor lobby of City Hall. One is marble and the other, a bronze, is the second of two ever made. The small bronze nurse was created and donated by Dr. Taylor to Chesapeake General Hospital’s Cancer Treatment Center and is in the garden. Taylor's third piece is an interesting clay sculpture that includes rope and print from a stock page from the Wall Street Journal. The explanation of this piece, in the artist's own words, accompanies it. This piece is currently on the first floor of City Hall near council chambers’ entrance.

 

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Larry Bage

Two bronze underwater schools of fish are the two bronze works that were created by Larry Bage. They grace both lobby entrance areas of City Hall. One piece will be purchased by the Public Art Committee as its first purchased piece. An odd fish is the angler fish and a large bronze, rather ugly looking fella sitting on top of the Courthouse overhang in the lobby. He is a surprise for visitors as they come down the elevator from the upper floors to the lobby. Yes, fun on the way from jury duty! This piece was seen at the Stockley Garden Art show in 2006.

Bage was also commissioned by the committee and the Chesapeake Department of Parks & Recreation to create an appropriate and dramatic, large piece for the brand new Cuffee Center in Campostella section of South Norfolk. His 12-foot tall steel, stylized running figure is powder coated in a teal blue color, and is holding a yellow butterfly in one hand. The sculpture represents youth, fun, moving forward and carries the symbol of metamorphosis and change. This is in recognition of the changing nature of this Chesapeake community.

Update: January 2008 – One of the Larry Bage "bronze fish" pieces in City Hall has now been purchased by the Public Art Committee. This may remain in the City Hall Lobby on permanent loan, or moved to other City properties in the future if requested.

Update: May 2008 - Bage was commissioned to do a multi piece outdoor sculpture from an idea and concept presented by the Public Art Committee. This exciting new commissioned piece will be placed permanently in the grass median at City Hall.

 

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Phyllis Slate

Nature photos are on exhibit in the Indian River Library conference room as well as the City Hall 6th floor hallway to the Mayor and City Clerks offices.

UPDATE: Her works will be on exhibit in the Portlock Galleries in March 2008 as a result of her display for the Public Art Committee.

 

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Nancie Laing

Digital photography artist, Nancie Laing, has photos on exhibit in the Monarch Bank off Hanbury Rd. Nancie’s work has been evidenced at the Arboretum, on their website, and the Arboretum’s annual calendar.  

UPDATE: Her works will be on exhibit for purchase at FastFrames, at Town Place, near Greenbrier Mall, through the month of June 2008.

 

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Kevin Gallup

Sculptor Kevin Gallup, known for the ODU bronze lion, the prototype for the Norfolk mermaids and other local popular pieces, has loaned a piece that sits on the 2nd floor of City Hall. This is a "Fractal Tree" and is a heavy piece in cast metal that is based on a mathematical formula devised by a Dutch mathematician. This interesting and complicated piece is a tree that has the same exact shape forming the trunk, becoming smaller to form the branches, then leaves and even smaller leaves. Art and mathematics. How great! A great artwork for parents to discuss with their children.

 

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Student Art

The PA committee was also responsible for having student art from the popular Court Art competition and purchase, a program begun by Chief Judge Thomas Forehand. Some of the art displayed for a year in the courthouse was transferred to the 6th floor of City Hall leading to the Office of the City Manager and Council offices. This is a student exhibit that changes annually.

 

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Jay Bowman

Parks & Recreation funded the works of chainsaw artist, Jay Bowman who began with Tiki poles carved into bridge posts at beautiful Northwest River Park. He now has a family of three bear chainsaw pieces. One large standing bear at the new Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, another at Northwest River Park and a third smaller of "The Three Bears" at City Park near the Robert G. “Buddy” Bagley Stage. Where is Goldilocks when you need her?

 

UPDATE: January 2008 – Chainsaw artist Jay Bowman has also completed a large sculpture of a large mouth bass off the Chesapeake Expressway at the intersection of I64 & 464. This over 8ft tall fish highlights the lake at Oak Grove Lake Park. This purchase by Parks & Recreation was approved (and admired!) by the Public Art Committee.

UPDATE: March 2008 - The Public Art Committee has also commissioned artist Jay Bowman, who lives in Kitty Hawk, NC, to create a hawk for Hickory HS. The hawk is their symbol and the hawk will be created for $950 and a video will be made of the work being created. This video can be used for educational purposes for the school and copies can be used in libraries and education on this form of carving.

UPDATE: May 2008 — Constructed out of a single piece of cypress, this soaring hawk was presented to Hickory High School, May 13, 2008.  Some fun facts you may find interesting about this piece:

• Hawk was made with a standard chainsaw
• This piece is sculptured entirely from one single piece of cedar wood.
• The color of the Hawk comes from using a torch to actually burn in the color before a protective poly coat is applied
• While carving, the artist felt something hit his blade and he found that a bullet was in the tree; the tree healed and grew around it as evidenced by the many concentric growth-rings in the wood.
• You can see the part of the bullet that he cut with his saw in the base to the front upper right side; a thin outside coat of copper can be seen so it cannot be a Civil War bullet....

 

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South Norfolk

There is a lovely butterfly mural, professionally painted, in South Norfolk on the outside wall of the Portlock Galleries education annex that was funded in part by the Public Art Committee and the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission.  Also, at Lakeside Park in South Norfolk — the site of the annual FAC/P&R/Hope House Chesapeake Art Show and the 4th of July parade and home-town celebration, among other events — is a metal sculpture by Dick Cossit.

 

UPDATE: December 2007 – The mural by artist Chip Wilkinson is complete and enjoyed by all who see it. The flight of butterflies compliments the concept of the “metamorphosis” of that area of the city. That theme was originally conceived as part of the Cuffee Center 12 foot steel statue. The Fine Arts Commission agreed to a $3000 project grant, and the Public Art Committee donated $375 to the project.

 

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Chess/Checkers Tables

The Committee also purchased stone ready-made cast chess/checkers tables with two seats each. The attractive sets have a terrazzo inlay that forms the permanent game boards. They have donated one to the Chesapeake TCC campus, a second is under the trees at the side of City Hall, one to a small public park off Cedar Road and the third, with the purchase by Parks & Recreation, sits under a circle of crepe myrtles in Locks Park in Great Bridge. They certainly are a form of commercial, but fun and useful artwork for a city.

 

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Tree Faces

The Public Art Committee has purchased fun “tree faces" that were installed in January 2008 to surprise and amuse children and families in the "FUN FOREST" area of City Park.

 

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City Symbol Committee

The City Treasurer formed a City Symbol Committee to research and select a symbol for Chesapeake as Norfolk did with the Mermaid and Outer Banks, NC, did the horses. The selected symbol was the blue heron. The original cold cast bronze proto type was financed and and placed at the rear campus entrance of City Hall. There are suggested designs by various artists in the Treasurer's office, if a citizen or business wishes to purchase a heron for their property. One heron has been purchased by an individual and one large business and a bank will be purchasing and installing a heron on their property.

 

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Early City Map

There is a map of early Chesapeake that has gotten around! This is the story of the travels of the map mural! It started as the mural on the wall of the old City Council Chambers, which became the Sheriff's meeting room when the current City Hall was built. The Sheriff later donated the mural to the Portlock Museum as a piece of Chesapeake history. The museum became the Portlock Galleries in SoNo and they presented the mural to the South Norfolk Library which is its current home.

 

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Mystery Heron

A mystery heron made from metal with a wood base was seen in the Spoleto Art Festival; it appeared one night in the City Hall on the 6th floor! That heron came permanently to roost in City Hall for the public to enjoy when it was bought from the mystery donor by the Public Art Committee!

UPDATE:  December 2007 - The Public Art Committee also secured and suggested artists for display in the new public gallery in the new Muroni’s Restaurant on Battlefield Blvd. at the foot of the Great Bridge bridge. All works are for sale and the restaurant will not accept any commission so that the artists will receive the full purchase amount. Currently on display are numerous artists to include members of the Shutterbug Digital Camera Club.

 

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Presentation of Art to Fire and Police

The Public Art Committee presented a original stained glass artwork to the Police and Fire Departments for a Public spot in the Safety building.

 

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This is only a small sampling of public art pieces throughout Chesapeake

We know there’s more! We’ll gladly post your picture of Public Art in the city — just submit a high quality photograph along with a description of the piece, location, artist (if known), contact person for permission to use photograph and your contact information. If the piece is considered public art by the committee, we’ll post it on this site and give you credit for your submission.

How you can take part in the Public Art efforts in Chesapeake

Do you want to purchase/donate a piece of art for the city? Pictured are some samples of the kind of bronze art you can purchase and there are other smaller pieces that can be used in parks or areas of your choice!

Examples of bronze art that can be purchased
for the park of your choice

Maybe there is something particular you want to be donated in your name or a type of work you would like to be considered! Let us know at finearts@cityofchesapeake.net or (757) 382-6411.