“Prism Arc VI” Sculpture Dedication on Philo Road

Urbana invites the public to celebrate the installation of “Prism Arc VI”, the second of four sculptures

The City of Urbana invites the public to attend a ribbon cutting and dedication of the sculpture entitled, Prism Arc VI, on Friday, May 7th, at 4:00 PM.  Prism Arc VI is the second of four sculptures to be installed in Urbana this spring for a two-year placement.  Carl Billingsley, sculptor and Professor of Sculpture at East Carolina University, will be installing the piece on the northeast corner of Philo Road and Colorado Avenue in Urbana as part of the Philo Road Beautification Plan and the Urbana Sculpture Project.  The public is invited to meet the artist and learn more about the piece on site on Friday, at 4:00 PM.   

The Philo Road Beautification Plan, approved in 2008, identified the opportunity to include public sculpture in the streetscape improvements.  In October, 2009, the City launched the Urbana Sculpture Project and received 98 sculpture proposals that were considered for installation in four locations in Urbana in 2010.  Through a selection process with two different juries reviewing applications, four sculptures were selected based on artistic quality and ability to integrate and enhance each location.  Prism Arc VI is the first sculpture to be placed on Philo Road as part of this project.  A sculpture entitled Landing by Cecilia Lueza is scheduled to be installed elsewhere on Philo Road on May 21^st.

Additionally, a piece by Barry Hehemann, entitled Bench 9 is scheduled for installation adjacent to the Urbana Free Library on Green Street on May 21st. The first sculpture installed as part of this project is Fanfare by Shawn Morin, currently on display in the Iron Post courtyard on the corner of Elm Street and Race Street, downtown Urbana.    

The Urbana Sculpture Project is part of the Urbana Public Arts Program, whose aim is to create a city where all residents can engage with the arts in its many forms, and where art is an integral part of the civic environment. 

For additional information, contact the Urbana Public Arts Coordinator, Anna Hochhalter at (217) 384-2311, or by email at alhochhalter@city.urbana.il.us.

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