PEOPLE'S CHOICE

The Edina Public Art Committee has announced the selection of the 2011 “People’s Choice” winners for the sculpture exhibitions on the Edina Promenade and in Grandview Square Park.

The Edina Art Center Board’s Public Art Committee issued a Call for Sculptors for a sculpture loan program for Grandview Square Park and the Edina Promenade early this year. After the sculptures were installed, the public was encouraged to vote for their favorites. Over the course of the summer, hundreds of votes were cast for favorite sculptures.

The first-place award of $1,000 was given to James Gabbert of Edina for “Sunniva – A Gift of the Sun.” The second-place winner of $750 was Steve Elliott of Wayne, Neb., for “Transponder – An Abstraction of Nature.” Judd Nelson of Wayzata, Minn., received the third-place award of $500 for “Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed – Realism and Nature.”

The winning sculptures are part of rotating exhibitions for the Edina Promenade and Grandview Square. These exhibitions are on view for one year and change each spring. A new Call for Artists for 2012 is expected to be published at the end of the year.

Previous winners include:

2010
First place: "The Plunge" by Deb Zeller of Victoria, Minn.
Bronze, $15,000
The plunge has become a symbol for action. Take the first step, make a
commitment, dive in and get started.

Second place: "Reflecting on Friendship" by Nicholas Legeros of Edina
Bronze, $10,000
Portrays two preschool kids running around and trying to pop bubbles. As Legeros made this sculpture, he was amazed at how flexible kids are at
that age.

Third place: "Holy Big Bird" by Stephen J. Fischer of Sullivan, Wis.
Aluminum, $23,000
Years of watching sand hill cranes that the Asians call Holy Big Bird was the inspiration for this sculpture.

2009
First place: "Gyr Family Cycle" by Perci Chester of Minneapolis, Minn.
Stainless Steel, $35,000
Denotes youth and aging, the generational presence, projecting hope and
suggesting stewardship in maintaining the continuity of all life forms.