Sculptor Guy J. Bellaver Receives Commission for Batavia Fine Arts Centre

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr. 9, 2012 - Saint Charles, IL – Members of the Batavia High School Class of 1954 first met with Sculptor Guy J. Bellaver in the summer of 2011 to talk about creating a “class gift” that would be a special celebration of the newly completed expansion of Batavia High School.  After classmate James Hall proposed a matching funds challenge, the fundraising began and the Class of 1954 determined that they would fund a gift of original art to celebrate the newly built, state of the art high school auditorium.  The Class of 1954 wanted a beautiful and permanent work of art that would be a meaningful addition to both the high school expansion and the new Fine Arts Centre.  The close-knit town of Batavia has embraced the Fine Arts Centre as a major addition to the community’s arts scene, following recent opening of venues such as Water Street Studios, an artists’ studio and gallery in downtown Batavia.  

To achieve the Class of 1954’s gift objectives, Mr. Bellaver created a series of five bronze reliefs entitled The Arts Together.  The Artist’s Statement for the piece explains, “It is designed as five individual panels that represent Visual and Performing Arts (vocal music, dance, instrumental music, theater, and the visual arts) – yet each panel is designed to connect visually to the next panel.  This connection represents the function of the Fine Arts Centre – to “bring all the arts together under one roof” and connect Batavia’s students and the community at large to each other and to the arts.”


About Guy J. Bellaver and Sculpture:
Mr. Bellaver is a sculptor whose works span many media, including stone, wood, metal and mixed media.  His monumental works include major public art and liturgical projects in Geneva, Elgin, and St. Charles, IL, Latrobe, PA, and Boston, MA.   Mr. Bellaver’s sculptures appear in the Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Museum, Crandon, WI, Armstrong County Building, Kittanning, PA, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL, St. Charles Heritage Center, St. Charles, IL, Forbes Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, Graphite Sales, Inc., Chagrin Falls, OH, H.J. Heinz Corporation’s International Headquarters, Pittsburgh, PA, Hiram College, Hiram, OH, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, Property Investment Company, Indianapolis, IN, and St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, among others.  His work is in private collections around the country.  Mr. Bellaver is represented by Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek [Door County], Wisconsin.  Mr. Bellaver's entire portfolio may be seen on his web site - www.BellaverStudios.com.

After his discharge from the U.S. Army, Mr. Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from St. Vincent College.  He has worked as a sculptor full time since 1975. Mr. Bellaver has taken masters credit classes in art at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, and NIU, as well as The School of the Museum of Art in Chicago.  He is a member of CSI and ISC and sits on the Boards of the St. Charles Visitors Cultural Commission and the St. Charles Arts Council.  Mr. Bellaver is a past President of the St. Charles Rotary Club and Foundation and Chairman of the DSCP’s Public Art Committee.

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Mr. Bellavers sculpture media include stone, steel & bronze. His monumental work includes Kane County’s Veterans Memorial, and collectors such as H. J. Heinz Co. and Forest County Potawatomi. His work is in private collections around the country.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11845268/1