Norman 2nd Friday Music Circuit to dedicate two sculptures

Two art dedications by local sculptors followed by an album premiere listening party will commemorate a Norman gallery’s closing exhibition starting at 6 p.m. Friday during a monthly arts celebration.

The two sculptures, “Silver Lining” by OU professor Jonathan Hils and “Sun Dial” by Craig Swan, a Norman Firehouse Art Center faculty member, were installed Sunday on West Main Street, according to a press release.

Hils and Swan, along with Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and Larry Walker, Norman Public Arts Board chair, will be at Mainsite Contemporary Art at 122 E. Main St. for the official ceremony, according to a press release.

Rosenthal and Walker will speak briefly with visitors about the sculptures and their importance as public art, according to a press release. Visitors also will have the opportunity to walk to the sculptures with the artists for an onsite viewing, according to a press release. The sculptures are located in the 200 and 300 blocks of Main Street, said Joshua Boydston, Norman Arts Council communications director.

The sculptures make Norman unique and foster its identity as a city, Boydston said.

Over the summer, the Norman Public Arts Board narrowed an open call to four finalists, and the two winning sculptures were chosen in September, Boydston said. The arts council and the arts board are dedicating the sculptures during Norman’s 2nd Friday Circuit of Art, which takes places in various venues in and around Main Street.

Following the sculpture dedication at 8 p.m., a listening party for the Wurly Birds’ newest album, “Mulberry Huff,” will take place at Mainsite. Visitors will listen to the group’s album through speakers created by Trent Still for the Bespoke 2012 exhibition, according to the Facebook event page.

Boydston, the gallery manager for Mainsite, saw the handcrafted speakers as mutual benefit for both art and vinyl patrons, he said. Boydston selected the Oklahoma City outfit to premiere its album through Still’s custom creations during the event because they fit the local trend of the exhibition, Boydston said.

Since Oct. 18, the Bespoke exhibition has displayed handmade furniture and lighting designs by Oklahoma artists including OU students Julie Tran and Justin Harrell, according to the exhibition’s website. Pieces include Still’s speakers, beds, dining tables and a free-standing lamp created by the designer of the SkyDance Bridge in Oklahoma City, Boydston said.

“It’s kind of an artisan’s take on furniture,” Boydston said. “People look at furniture as pure function.”

The Bespoke 2012 exhibition will run through Nov. 17, according to a press release.

Other events encompassing 2nd Friday include a basket-weaving demonstration, a deadCENTER film screening and student poetry reading at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, according to the website calendar. Main Street eatery, Local, will house a new art exhibition and a fundraiser for Norman Music Festival 6. Live music, handcrafted merchandise and refreshments will be available throughout various Main Street venues for the monthly event.

For more information about 2nd Friday events and participants, visitors can access Norman Arts Council’s online visual guide.

Molly Evans

Molly is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Copy Editor and Life & Arts Reporter.