Public Art in Vandalia

Items of Interest

2012 - Brochure on Vandalia Area Public and Private Art (PDF)
2011 - Vandalia unveiled five sculptures that were installed and dedicated in an "art crawl" ceremony with a day of art related activities.
2010 - Vandalia "Chiseled" (PDF), a Stone Sculpture Symposium, took place in September 2010 on the grounds of the Vandalia Recreation Center. Five sculptors worked daily on their projects over a two-week period while the public was invited to come out and watch. The finished pieces have been placed throughout the City.

Events

2022 - Call to Artist - Sculpture for Vandalia Art Park

2021 - Triad Sculpture - In progress

2019 - Bottlecap Totems at Vandalia Art Park - 10 pieces form the Entry Totems to the park. The committee collected bottle caps and local citizens adhered the caps to PVC pipe in their own design.

2016 - "Heavy Metal" Community Sculpture Project - https://video.thinktv.org/search/?q=Heavy+Metal+Remix

2011 - Chiseled "Unveiled" - Five sculptures were installed with an event at each installation site.

2010 - Vandalia "CHISELED" Stone Sculpture Symposium - Vandalia "Chiseled" (PDF)

Vandalia "CHISELED", a Stone Sculpture Symposium, was held during the City of Vandalia's 50th Anniversary. The Public Art in Vandalia (PAIV) dedicated the five limestone sculptures created during Vandalia "Chiseled" throughout Vandalia during an "art crawl" on September 18, 2011. The locations of the sculptures are as follows:

"Bellwether" by Todd Frahm will be placed at the Vandalia Recreation Center.
"Sunset" by Lasha Khidasheli will be located on the front lawn of the Vandalia Justice Center.
"Inward and Outward: All in All" by John Leon will be placed at Cassel Hills Golf Course.
"Last Love VI" by Patrick Sullivan will be located at Seger Park.
"At Play in Geologic Time" by Matthew Weir will be placed in Lichtenfels Park.

For more information or to join in any upcoming art activities, please Contact Candice Farst or call 937-266-9066.

History

Vandalia Chiseled was a two-week stone sculpture symposium featuring five nationally-recognized sculptors, who used the Vandalia Recreation Center south lot as their artist's studio and large blocks of Indiana limestone as their canvas. The limestone blocks were delivered on Wednesday, August 25. The blocks had been cut to the artist's specifications prior to delivery. Looking at these big blocks of stone, it takes real imagination to envision what they will become under the artists' hands.

At the opening ceremonies, held on Saturday, September 4, 2010, the artists were introduced to the community and they explained the thought process behind their designs. A big component of the Stone Sculpture Symposium was the education element. Throughout the two-week period, school kids visited to watch the artists at work. When the symposium was over, every class in Kindergarten through 6th grade in Vandalia-Butler Schools and St. Christopher Elementary School had visited the site. The children asked questions and learned what it takes to be a sculptor. They were also able to try their hand at chiseling.

The symposium featured four blocks of limestone designed expressly for visitors to chisel away at. One factor that took many by surprise was the amount of dust created by the sculptors. Much of the cutting and filing and sanding that took place produced large amounts of fine limestone dust. The artists used high-pressure air hoses to get the dust off before leaving at the end of the day.

As the first week wrapped up, many of the pieces were already beginning to take shape. The artists taking part in Chiseled had a very busy schedule. They worked from 9 am to 6 pm every night. In the evenings, they were immersed in the Vandalia community, meeting civic groups and organizations and playing the role of diplomat.

At the closing ceremonies, each artist was invited to speak about their piece and explain the thought process behind it. A good crowd was on hand to get a first-hand look at the finished pieces.