Sculpture/Guy J. Bellaver Wins Sculpture Competition From Washington & Jefferson College

ST. CHARLES, Ill. - Jan. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- Guy J. Bellaver has won Washington & Jefferson College’s recent Public Art 1970 Commemorative Public Art Competition. W&J’s Call to Artists explained the competition’s intent – “This work of art is commissioned to celebrate the myriad changes that occurred during the 1970 academic year.  These changes include, but are not limited to the beginning of co-education, the inauguration of a new college president, the change from the traditional 2 semester academic calendar to an innovative 4-1-4 program, and the first art major declaration.” The title of Bellaver’s winning sculpture design is 1970, a piece from his “…in Motion” series.  The works in this series are stainless steel kinetic sculptures featuring inserts of materials such as colored glass.

Said Bellaver, “It is an honor to create a sculpture that commemorates all of the many individual accomplishments and changes of the era that are so important to Washington & Jefferson College and its growth and evolution.  The ‘70s were also a time of major accomplishments and changes for me, so this piece is strongly rooted in my background and experiences.”

Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab, Chair of the Commemorative Public Arts Committee and W&J graduate said, “Mr. Bellaver’s 1970 design was the unanimous choice of the committee.  We loved the original concept, and the more I see [of the detailed drawings and maquettes that he has produced], the more excited I become!”

Louise Kirkpatrick Ross, committee member and another W&J graduate, adds “We are all so excited and looking forward to working with Mr. Bellaver on this project.”

The sculpture will be completed and sited in time for a dedication at the College’s October, 2014 Homecoming Celebration.

Artist Statement for 1970:

I became an artist in the 1970s, and this sculpture is evocative of that time in many of its elements.

The stainless steel rods are welded together to form nine hendecagons, with an overall height and width of nearly 12 feet.  This 11-sided shape represents W&J’s position as the 11^th oldest college in the nation.  Each of the interior eight “levels” of the stainless steel rod can be turned to form many other views, representing the changes so much a part of the era of the’70s.

The colorful spiral shapes within the hendecagon “grow” as the sculpture widens, representing the growth of the college. These brightly colored segments also represent an era when color was becoming dominant in art, architecture, design, etc.  Tie dye, color saturation, vibrancy…

The juxtaposition of the colors and the stainless steel suggest the combining of masculine and feminine elements to celebrate the beginning of co-education at Washington & Jefferson.

More information about Sculpture/Guy J. Bellaver and Washington & Jefferson College may be found on their web sites – http://bellaverstudios.com/ and http://washjeff.edu.

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, Kittanning, PA, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL, Kane County Campbell House, Geneva, IL, Heritage Center, St. Charles, IL, Forbes Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, Graphite Sales, Inc., Chagrin Falls, OH, H.J. Heinz International Headquarters, Pittsburgh, PA, Hiram College, Hiram, OH, Indiana University of PA, Indiana, PA, Property Investment Company, Indianapolis, IN, and Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, among others.  His work is in private collections around the country.  Mr. Bellaver's entire portfolio may be seen on his web site - BellaverStudios.com.

After his discharge from the U.S. Army, Mr. Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from Saint 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 Art Institute in Chicago.  He is a member of CSI and ISC and sits on the Boards of the St. Charles Visitors and 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.

About Washington & Jefferson College:

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work.

For more information about W&J, visit www.washjeff.edu, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.

Sculpture/Guy J. Bellaver (http://bellaverstudios.com/) is a Registered and Verified Veteran Owned Small Business.