Nestled in the trees on the Town Hall Campus is a towering metal sculpture that is seemingly alive. As it catches a breeze, its top four pieces gently revolve. One moment they’re aligned, and the next they’re askew. On a blustery day, the pieces spin more rapidly, mesmerizing anyone who stops to watch for a few minutes.
This wind-driven kinetic sculpture is the brainchild of artist Harry McDaniel, who found inspiration in the beloved nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty.” He designed the solitary golden piece at the pinnacle to resemble an egg and the four blocks underneath it the wall.
McDaniel’s creation joins eight others, from the whimsical to the ornate, in gracing downtown Apex as part of the Town’s inaugural Public Art Sculpture Walk that began in April and lasts until March 2022. The sculptures complement two permanent installations in Apex: “Trajectory,” the steel-framed sculpture on Town Hall Campus, by Dan Kuehl; and “Destination Becomes Home,” the colorful mural on the Apex Public Works Building, by Max Dowdle.
Renée Anderson, cultural arts program specialist at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, serves on the Town’s public art committee and helped oversee the sculpture show. “The committee conducted several public surveys at various festivals to find out what the citizens of Apex thought public art is and what they would like to see in the town. The Sculpture Walk came in high on the list,” she said.
As nations grapple with COVID-19, public art has become a crucial element toward resiliency and healing. The simple act of leaving our confines to clear our minds becomes even more pleasurable when a striking piece of art stands before us. How we interpret that art – whether it’s a mosaic, mural or meandering sculpture trail – reminds us that although our daily interactions require us to be socially distant, we’re still very much socially connected. Public art speaks to us in countless ways by being accessible, uplifting, uniting, rejuvenating, and even escapist – attributes made all the more precious during a global pandemic.
Realizing how a sculpture show could enhance the Peak of Good Living, Anderson said the art committee “reached out to arts councils, placed notices in arts newsletters and magazines, and hung flyers,” in a call for artists, both established and emerging. North Carolina artists were especially encouraged to apply, though any artist who met the requirements was eligible. Sculptures were required to be original, suitable for viewing by all ages, and constructed within the past three years of any material that could withstand varying weather conditions. They also needed to be resistant to theft, vandalism, and excessive maintenance and repair costs.
Twenty-five sculptors expressed interest and an outside juror whittled down the number of submissions. A separate committee made up of Mayor Gilbert, Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Dozier, art committee members and several Apex citizens selected the final sculptures to be displayed downtown.
“Our consultant and chair of the committee, with help from the Apex Planning Department, worked to find suitable places to display the sculptures so that the walk would flow,” Anderson said. All are within walking distance of each another, making it easy to spend a couple of hours browsing the sculptures.
To enhance the viewing experience, the art committee contracted with Otocast to provide a full audio and visual tour of the walk via a free downloadable phone app available on the App Store and Google Play. Apexers can even vote for their favorite sculpture on the app.
“The app keeps track of votes by emails submitted so you can only vote once,” Anderson explained. “The ‘People’s Choice’ recipient will be awarded $1,500. Our exhibition juror, Jeff York, will select ‘Best in Show,’ and that artist will receive $1,500 as well.”
As you view these extraordinary sculptures making their home in Apex, listen as the artists describe their masterpiece and the fascinating story behind each one, and allow yourself a few well-deserved moments of tranquility, beauty and reverie.
“Stand” by Mike Roig
This piece of abstract art at Hunter Street Park is suggestive of any number of creatures and undoubtedly stimulates the imaginations of young and old alike.
“Uphill Battle” by Ethan Morrow
Depicting a wildly ambitious biker leading a pack of competitors, Morrow’s 750-pound sculpture next to Rodgers Family Skate Park commemorates the Hattie Hundred Bike Ride in support of the nonprofit organization, DREAM of Hattiesburg in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 2018.
“Ribbon Arch II” by Jim Gallucci
In celebration of the earth’s ecology, each part of Gallucci’s piece on Hunter Street is interwoven to remind us that all things are connected.
“Angular Separation” by Hanna Jubran
Jubran’s vivid sculpture on N. Salem Street expresses the universe through creative interplay of form, shape, space and color.
“Lotus Blossom” by Beau Lyday
Lyday used rusted tin roofing to form the 24 petals of a lotus blossom. His unique way of repurposing a discarded item symbolizes rebirth, awakening and enlightenment. The sculpture is located on Temple Street.
“Amrita Devi” by Charles Pilkey
Pilkey’s sculpture on N. Salem Street honors Amrita Devi Bishnoi, who, along with her three daughters, perished while trying to protect a grove of Khejri trees in India in 1730.
“Inky” by Phil Hathcock
Hathcock’s piece on Saunders Street stems from his desire to honor the Inuit people and features his rendition of an inuksuk, a manmade stone landmark used to mark travel routes and hunting and fishing grounds.
“Nominare Valle” by Kevin Eichner
Eichner’s piece on Saunders Street is created from reclaimed steel and embraces the union of lovers, the bonds of family and the strength of community.
“Humpty Dumpty” by Harry McDaniel
Mother Goose’s beloved nursery rhyme is the inspiration for McDaniel’s whimsical piece on the Town Hall Campus that features a golden egg precariously perched atop four blocks that shift in the wind.
“Trajectory” by Dan Kuehl
Symbolic of our lives, “Trajectory” rises at numerous angles and points in many directions. Kuehl uses steel tubing and acrylic mirrors to achieve his vision, and the result is radiant. View this permanent installation at the Town Hall Campus facing Hunter Street.
“Destination Becomes Home” by Max Dowdle
Dowdle uses dynamic imagery, vivid colors and a calming overall aesthetic to convey the emotions one experiences when a destination becomes home. The mural is a permanent installation on the Apex Public Works Building.
“The Apex Sculpture Walk is exactly the type of thing we love to see!” said Mayor Jacques Gilbert. “It provides a safe and fun opportunity to get outside, interact with art and others around you, and offers residents and visitors alike a reason to stop along the Walk for a bite to eat or chance to step into one of our many downtown shops.”
Learn more about the Apex Public Art Sculpture Walk at apexnc.org/1558/Public-Art.
