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Home > Archive > Apr 5, 2007

A Museum's Worth of Art Is Just 'Around the Corner'
By Cami Cox
Staff Writer
For three years, downtown St. George has been dotted with sculptures. From bronze children to steel cacti, the works of many famous sculptors have adorned historic downtown as part of “Art Around the Corner.” What many don't know as they pass by these works of art, primarily featured near Main Street and Tabernacle, is that the figures aren't permanent downtown fixtures – the artists loan their statues to the city for a period of 12 months to be part of a yearlong, open air exhibit.
Every year, Art Around the Corner does a bit of spring cleaning, replacing the previous year's exhibit with a lineup of new sculptures to be on display for the community. The former display pieces are returned to their creators or taken to their new homes, if they've been purchased. The sculptures for this year's exhibit were welded into place March 31 and will be on public display until spring of next year.
“We call it an outdoor selling show,” Art Around the Corner co-chair Cindy Trueblood said. “We're trying to educate the community to understand what this show is all about.”
St. George residents and visitors can take a walk around downtown and view sculptures created by some of the finest artists in the country.
Art Around the Corner was co-founded by Trueblood's mother-in-law, local artist L'Deane Trueblood, and another local artist and sculptor Annette Everett.
“There were two goals when (we) started this show,” L'Deane Trueblood said. “One of them was to educate people's eyes to really good sculpture. We started off with sculptures by the best artists in Utah. Number two was to pamper the artists and give them the opportunity to be really acknowledged.”
She said other cities have done and are attempting to do similar shows, but the Art Around the Corner difference is, artists aren't in competition with one another. While exhibits in many other cities are juried, meaning the artists have to apply and then essentially compete to have their works in the show (with the possibility of rejection, even for an established artist), the St. George show began as and is still primarily a by-invitation show. So sculptors are invited to display a piece at Art Around the Corner, where their creations are prominently displayed for public view, and the artists are treated very well for contributing their artwork to the city.
Every year, she said, Art Around the Corner's featured sculptors are invited to attend a formal gala event to commemorate the unveiling of the new exhibit. Accommodations are provided for the visiting artists at the Green Gate Village Historic Inn, and the sculptors get a chance to rub elbows with one another and receive the royal treatment.
“They're doing us a favor, we're not doing them a favor,” Cindy Trueblood said. “We really roll out the red carpet for the artists.”
She said the sculptures are very valuable (“The Wolf” by Michael Coleman, part of this year's display, is worth $35,000), so to loan one of their pieces for an entire year is a sacrifice for the artists. The tradeoff is the exposure they get from taking part in the exhibit and the potential to sell a statue, though finding buyers for their sculptures is not a guarantee. For up-and-coming sculptors, the opportunity to rub shoulders with some big names in the art world is also an enticement.
When Art Around the Corner began three years ago, some illustrious sculptors were the featured contributors, and that turned some artistic heads toward Southern Utah right away.
“We really did get the cream of the crop to start with,” L'Deane Trueblood said. “We had some of the best sculptors in the nation, and they just happened to live in Utah.”
Cindy Trueblood said many of the participating artists that first year were friends and acquaintances of L'Deane and came as a favor to her. Having so many established artists at its inception gave Art Around the Corner some initial clout, and the show has increasingly attracted well-known artists each year and is beginning to receive national exposure. This year's show will include works from New York sculptor Susan Geissler and Virginia sculptor David Turner.
“They had heard about Art Around the Corner, and they called us,” Cindy Trueblood said.
Over $300,000 worth of art has been sold so far through Art Around the Corner since the show began. Some of the statues have been purchased by local families and donated to the city to become permanent downtown artwork. Others have been sold to local business owners who took a fancy to pieces adorning the sidewalks in front of their businesses and decided to give the sculptures a permanent home. Each piece of art in the exhibit is for sale.
“If people really want something beautiful for their home or garden, they don't have to go to New York. It's right there on the street,” Cindy Trueblood said.

Information about this year's Art Around the Corner will be available online at www.dixiearts.org. Many of the sculptures can be seen in the heart of downtown around Main Street and Tabernacle, and some pieces will be on display at Dixie State College and in other locations. A map of statue locations and details about each sculpture can be found on the Web site. For other Art Around the Corner inquiries, contact Sarah Urquhart at 435-673-4424.

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