A LaGrange County Arts rendition of a proposed sculpture the organization hopes can be placed on the LaGrange County Courthouse lawn. Contributed image
LAGRANGE — LaGrange County Arts, a recently created organization dedicated to empowering and promoting local artists and arts, will be making a presentation Monday morning to the LaGrange County Commissioners seeking their approval to place a proposed sculpture on the LaGrange County Courthouse lawn.
Mary Woodworth, the director of the arts organization, said conversations with people in the community have convinced the members of her organization that residents would like to see more works of public art like sculptures placed in LaGrange County.
To pay for such a public work of art, Woodworth worked with LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sonya Nash as they prepare to apply for an Indiana Destination Development Corporation public arts grant. The state organization, created to promote tourism in Indiana, offers communities like LaGrange an opportunity to apply for state funds to help pay for public works of art. Previously, Nash has worked with similar local groups to find state funding for public art projects in Elkhart County.
“The Indiana Destination Development Corporation has established an art activation grant, and this art activation grant is to be used to create Indiana-specific public art throughout the state of Indiana,” Nash said. “Its purpose is to create partnerships between local artists and to feature the In Indiana branding. Basically, it’s a grant program designed to create an ‘Instagram-able’ moment and add beauty to Indiana’s rural landscapes.
Woodworth said the arts organization created a design concept for a kinetic sculpture to present to the commissioners. If the commissioners approve the proposal, design work on the sculpture would be completed and the design turned over to a local company to be built. The IDDC grants stipulate the sculpture would need to be standing in place by next fall.
Woodworth and Nash are applying for a $10,000 IDDC grant.
Woodworth said the sculpture will pay homage to LaGrange County and its natural resources. It will likely consist of a metal pole that holds three spinning wheels that depict the wildlife and landscapes found in and around the community. The wheels will spin either by touch or wind. Woodworth expects the finished sculpture to stand somewhere between 10 to 14 feet.
Woodworth said she and Nash need to have the commissioners’ approval before they can move officially apply for the grant.
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