Celebration of Fine Art

Ken Newman’s “Tale of Respect”, a bronze pheasant was chosen for the 75th Annual National Sculpture Society Exhibition in New York. The exhibition opens on Monday, February 18, 2008 and runs through May 30 at the Park Avenue Atrium at 237 Park Avenue/466 Lexington Ave (mid-Manhattan between 45th & 46th Streets) in NYC. The exhibition moves onto Brookgreen Gardens on Pawleys Island, South Carolina and opens on June 28 and runs through August 24, 2008. The NYC venue is open to the public free of charge in a 25 story, sky-lit lobby. At Brookgreen Gardens there is an admission fee, but if you love sculpture, the gardens created by the Hyatt/Huntington marriage is a wonderful place to spend the day viewing monumental sculpture in its gardens as well as in the museum in South Carolina. www.brookgreen.org “Tale of Respect” was one of 57 sculptures chosen from 685 works created by 286 sculptors. Each sculptor is either a NSS Fellow, an Elected Sculptor Member or an Associate of the National Sculpture Society. Ken has been an Associate member for 6 years. www.nationalsculpture.org

Ken Newman wins many awards for his spectacular wildlife sculpture but he also does some very emotional and award winning figurative bronzes.

His bronze titled, “Well Worn”recently won the Founder’s Award at the Wallowa Valley Art show in Joseph, Oregon. Here is a comment from the Wallowa Valley newspaper describing his most recent award:

“Ironically, the one-time Founders’ Award, which was selected as the piece of art which ‘best fits Wallowa County’ went to a sculpture titled Well Worn, 7-22 by Ken Newman, an artist from Cambridge, Idaho. His prize, $1,000, was sponsored by Sterling Bank.

The three founders of the Wallowa Valley Arts Council, Don Green, Eve Slinker and Rich Wandschneider – their names were on the organization of the nonprofit papers in 1982 – gathered around Newman’s bronze to explain why they thought it deserved the award.

‘It’s a tired working man at the end of the day. He’s wearing working boots, and could be a logger or a rancher in Wallowa County,’ pointed out Green.”

“Well Worn”was sculpted to reflect exhaustion and its presence in our lives. What fascinates and inspires me is the individual who possesses this strength of character. When completely exhausted, what enables one to continue, Responsibility? Dependability? Commitment? Each are components to the foundation for success, and these are characteristics that I have the utmost respect for. Sacrifice, another critical element, is subtly suggested by the missing digit and it is often this unspoken sacrifice that grounds and creates a strong individual.”, says Newman

Fine Woodworking magazine featured Ken’s wood sculpture “Tale of Attitude” in their Reader’s Gallery Page along with beautiful furniture, page 88, May/June issue.
Sculptural Pursuits included a photo of Ken’s “Uncalculated Exposure”in an article on Sculpture Walks featuring Grand Junction, CO and Sioux Falls, SD shows where he claimed second place in bronze sculpture. If you are in Sioux Falls SD before the end of April 2008, make sure you walk their downtown to see over 50 sculptures, including “Uncalculated Exposure”. If you can’t make it to South Dakota, check out their website at www.sculpturewalksiouxfalls.com

Wildlife Art moved Ken’s Editor’s Choice to their Annual Sculpture Issue (July/August). “Precipitous Drop”(Coyote and Chukar) is featured in the Sculpture issue. “Precipitous Drop”was finished at the Celebration of Fine Art last year. It gave visitors great insight into how this talented artist imagines his creations in a block of wood, then brings them to life as award winning sculpture. This sculpture is now exhibiting in the Society of Animal Artists 47th Annual Art and the Animal Exhibition at the Wildlife Experience in Parker, CO through February 16, 2008.