Sculpture at Crown Hill
by David Hoppe
Visual Arts Review | Thru June 2004
There are any number of reasons for taking the time to visit Crown Hill Cemetery. You can trace a fair amount of this city’s history by exploring the monuments that are spread across the cemetery’s 555 acres. But under the leadership of its president, Keith Norwalk, Crown Hill has also become an occasional venue for contemporary artists. This is especially true now that Crown Hill is hosting a collection of works by 10 Indiana sculptors.
The Hoosier Artists Contemporary Sculpture Walk will be up through June.
Presented by the Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with the Domont Studio Gallery and the Herron Gallery/IUPUI, the Hoosier Artists Contemporary Sculpture Walk consists of good-sized works by Austin I. Collins, Aaron Leif Nicholson, Eric Nordgulen, Jay C. Dougan, Nicholas McGill, Dee E. Schaad, Mark A. Wallis, Kenneth G. Ryden, Michael B. Wilken and Darren Lance Chalfant. A panel of three judges selected the pieces on view. The exhibit is intended to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Crown Hill’s dedication. It’s hard to imagine a better setting for outdoor sculpture than that afforded by the vast, meadow-like space along the cemetery’s north-south drive. Though these pieces will be on display until June 2004, autumn, with its colorful foliage, provides a great backdrop against which to view the works. The sculptures themselves are a respectably mixed bag. But putting something in this gorgeous place is like singing with Count Basie’s band — it’s almost impossible to fail. In opening itself to contemporary art, Crown Hill has found yet another way to enhance its already considerable standing. For more information, call 920-4165.
