The Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls Public Art Committee, and Cedar Falls Art and Culture Board are pleased to announce the installation and dedication of a new work of public art at Cedar Falls City Hall, commissioned in memory of Mayor Jon Crews. The artwork, titled Fence Roadway, is by Iowa native Gillian Christy. A public dedication for Fence Roadway will be held on Thursday, June 24 at 6:00 p.m. The artist will be in attendance, as will members of the Crews family. The public is invited to join in the celebration of the artwork.
Christy is an award-winning sculptor of monumental artwork. She is the past recipient of grants from the New England Foundation for the Arts, Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, The Rhode Island Foundation, and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. In 2008, Americans for the Arts awarded Christy's Embrace as America's Best Reviewed Public Art. Christy has also enjoyed commercial success, creating artwork for the NFL on CBS, The Apprentice, Gravity Games, and for the W Hotel in Boston. Christy attended the University of Northern Iowa, receiving her BFA in 2002. She now lives and works in Boston, MA.
Christy created the Fence Roadway in response to a commission from the Cedar Falls Public Art Committee for a work of art in memory of Mayor Jon Crews and his dedication to the community. Christy’s design is meant to express a sense of connectedness; in her statement, the artist writes, "Roads, sidewalks, and fences are present in our daily lives as we work toward achieving our dreams...While we are all on our own path- reaching, climbing, and striving toward our personal goals- it is important to identify that we are part of a bigger world."
Funds to support the artwork purchase were raised by the Cedar Falls Public Art Committee, Cedar Falls Rotary, and generous donations from the community in memory of Mayor Crews.
About the Hearst Center for the Arts
The James & Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts is located at 304 West Seerley Boulevard in Cedar Falls. More information on the Hearst Center and its programs is available at www.TheHearst.org, by calling the Hearst Center at (319) 273-8641, or follow us on Facebook. The Hearst Center is free and open to the public.