"Psychedelic Rain' is by Shelby Noweer and Neil Willfill. Photo by Quinn Miler
"Psychedelic Rain' is by Shelby Noweer and Neil Willfill. Photo by Quinn Miler
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ANGOLA — Sculptures Angola is back with four new fall installations downtown, from familiar names and fresh faces alike.

The sculptures, chosen by the Mayor's Art Council, were installed on Oct. 18. Each sculpture has a local sponsor; this year the sponsors are the Steuben County Tourism Bureau, Univertical, Angola Main Street, and the City of Angola. Out of nine submissions, four were chosen, and will remain on display for a year.

The two new artists featured, Shelby Nower and Neil Wiffill, collaborated on a piece called “Psychedelic Ruin” that sits in front of Stout Law Group.

Nower, a muralist and illustrator originally from St. Louis, now lives and works in Decatur. Wiffill, originally from the United Kingdom, is a scagliola artist, which is a technique where plaster of Paris is used to imitate other materials such as marble or other hard stones. Together, they created a sculpture that evokes the shape of a woman’s torso and is enveloped in bright, swirling colors.

Fremont artist Greg Summers is back with another piece this fall titled “Bloom.” Summers has been a part of Sculptures Angola since its inception, and accidentally caused community controversy last year with his sizable piece “Welcome.”

Summers works primarily with repurposed metal, and said he wants to challenge perceptions of traditional art. “Bloom,” on the corner outside Ahi Chihuahua, is a tangle of metal threads that flow upwards, eventually turning into beautiful leaves and petals.

Lynn Lehrman is another returning local artist, whose piece “Owl” was chosen as part of this year’s summer installation. A Spencerville native, he has only been making sculptures for seven years. His submission for the fall installation, “Butterfly,” now sits on southeast corner of Elizabeth and West Maumee. The cheerful pink insect was created from Lehrman’s chosen medium: Old farm equipment, discarded automotive or machine parts, scrap steel, and wood.

The fourth and final piece chosen was from returning artist Emma Zuercher of Goshen, who had her first piece displayed by Sculptures Angola in 2023. This fall’s piece, “Shadows on the Ceiling,” is a collection of colored metal bars welded together in a tall, angular shape, with all materials sourced from northeastern Indiana. It sits outside of Then and Now. According to the artist, she likes to create art that requires participation from her full body, and draws inspiration from her background in ceramics.

Since its formation in 2018, the Angola Mayor’s Arts Council has been dedicated to promoting public art and culture, and it is always looking for new ideas and new submissions. You can learn more information about the project and how to submit a piece by visiting the City of Angola’s website, angolain.org.
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