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SunFlower sculpture artist Alyssa Imes will host in-person talk Sunday
BETHLEHEM, Pa.— You can now enjoy a touch of summer all year long at the SteelStacks campus thanks to a recent installation of Sculpture Artist Alyssa Imes’s newest work SunFlower at the visitor center presented by St. Luke’s University Health Network. During the Steel Weekend, Imes will host an in-person, on-site artist talk at noon on Sunday, Oct. 16, to introduce and discuss her larger than life flora.
“ArtsQuest is thrilled to launch this annual sculpture program to celebrate the Steel Weekend and Steelworkers Reunion event,” Lisa Harms, ArtsQuest’s Senior Director of Visual Arts and Education said. “Public art projects like these give us the opportunity to offer powerful visual experiences in our community that are accessible to everyone. Imes’ SunFlower uses steel in its structure, which is a nod to the site of the sculpture and the impact of steel on our local history. The fiery oranges used in her piece evokes the molten metal that was once poured from the blast furnaces, which now stand as a dramatic backdrop to the SteelStacks campus. The sculpture emits a powerful energy that creates an interesting contrast to the industrial landscape. We are excited for the public to see this work of art in person.”
At the October 16 on-site artist talk, Imes will discuss her creative process in creating the more than four-foot-tall mixed media flower. According to Imes, SunFlower was created during the darkest time of Covid Pandemic. The bright colors bloom and explode while the petal-like shape form to create a giant loom for knit fabric planes of color. Imes was selected out of six artist submissions from across the country who applied for the Sculpture at SteelStacks exhibition. SunFlower is the latest installation in exhibition series. The first sculpture, Optic Wall by Emil Lukas, was installed on site from 2017-2021.
Each year ArtsQuest and the Steel Weekend Arts Sub-Committee send out a national call to experienced professional sculptors, students and emerging artists who were invited to submit their work for the annual Sculpture at SteelStacks exhibition. The outdoor display is featured at the entrance of the former site of Bethlehem Steel, where the work will be visible to over a million people annually. The annual program includes educational and community outreach events such as artist talks, public art walking tour and an artist-led knitting loom that will be hosted in spring of 2023.
Artist Bio – Alyssa Imes grew up in Emmitsburg, Maryland and currently lives in Knoxville, MD. She received her undergraduate degree from Shepherd University in 2018. During her time in undergrad, she used mediums of knitted fibers and communal cast iron. She graduated with her MFA from University of Maryland in May 2022. She has a small cast iron furnace named Phil-US she has used for more than 10 pours at various universities, museums and historical sites. Currently her work has transitioned from heavy iron work to light fiber works. Through the years of her art practice, her work reflects on ideas of growth after trauma and inspired by the connections she makes with people.
For more information on Steel Weekend and Steelworkers Reunion weekend visit: https://www.nmih.org
For a full schedule of current and upcoming Art Exhibitions visit: https://www.bananafactory.org.
About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest™ supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the Banana Factory Arts Center; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, approximately 50 percent of which are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region. ArtsQuest is a proud member of NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association and NATO, the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Information provided to TVL by:
Kelley Andrade, ArtsQuest
Public Relations Coordinator
http://www.artsquest.org/
