WHITAKER CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND THE ARTS PURCHASES MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE WHEREVER YOU GO
After many months of consideration, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has purchased Kevin’s sculpture Wherever You Go, There You Are. “I cannot imagine a more perfect place for this sculpture,” Kevin says. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is the center of scientific, artistic, cultural and educational activities in Pennsylvania’s capital city.
Whitaker Center has acquired Wherever You Go through the generous support of Drs. Michael and Madlyn Hanes. Dr. Michael Hanes is Whitaker Center’s president and CEO.
The sculpture was originally commissioned for a Sculpture-on-Campus exhibition at Pima Community College East Campus in Tucson, Arizona. “I had wanted to build a monumental version of this form,” explains Kevin.
Kevin had worked with Michael Stack, who started the program and is now department chair for Arts and Humanities on the campus, and it seemed like the perfect project during the dark days of the Recession.
Kevin worked on the sculpture for nine months, chronicling its creation in a 15-part video series. When informed of the sale, Stack wrote, “Although we will be sad to see it go, this is truly great news and a perfect fit for everyone. Our campus president sent out a campus email of its impending departure and the emails are coming in on how much ‘Wherever You Go’ has made an impact in student, faculty and staff’s daily lives. Our campus community is really looking forward with anticipation to the next piece that Kevin will grace our campus with.”
Now the sculpture is headed to where it is going for good. Installation is slated for late spring.
3D ART TALK, OPEN STUDIO AND OTHER ARIZONA EVENTS ON TAP
On Thursday, February 12, Kevin will speak to the Art Renaissance Initiative about 3D printing. “The members of this organization are art lovers, so I’m expecting some skepticism,” says Kevin. The talk, which is open to the public, will be held from noon – 1:30 p.m. at Vincent’s on Camelback, a longtime Phoenix favorite French restaurant. Kevin plans to have a 3D printer running at the event. Please make your reservations by today, February 10 by contacting Michel Sarda at mfsarda@aol.comor 602-954-6573.
Also in February, Kevin will have an Open Studio, where anyone can visit the studio, ask questions and often try out equipment. “I really enjoy showing people how to use the equipment,” Kevin says.
Held quarterly, the next Open Studio is Sunday, February 15, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, please contact us at info@kevincaron.com or 602-952-8767.
Kevin’s one-person show “Slash, Swoop, Swerve,” opens Tuesday, March 10 at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona. “This is almost a retrospective,” Kevin says. “I’ll have lots of sculptures from a number of series as well as some 3D printed work.” The home of the mysterious Casa Grande Ruins, Coolidge is about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson.
The sculpture Cyclone(upper right) has just been accepted into the juried series of exhibits in the Southwestern Invitational. The first event will be at the Yuma Fine Arts Center in Yuma, Arizona, on Friday, April 10. The sculpture will then travel throughout the state in a series of appearances to be announced soon.
Kevin’s work will be featured at more events(see calendar below), including “Action, Excitement and Entertainment,” which opens Friday, March 27 at the Herberger Theatre Center in downtown Phoenix.
You can learn more about these events in the calendar section below as well as on the Events page of the Web site. You can also contact us at info@kevincaron.com or 602-952-8767.
JEWELRY TAKES OFF UNDER NEW PROJECT MANAGER
Kevin’s jewelry project is taking on a life of its own. That’s especially true under the leadership of Bonnie Lou Coleman, jewelry project manager. “Just one part of what happens at the studio, this alone is a huge undertaking,” says Coleman, who has been working with Kevin Caron Studios since last November.
Coleman set up the jewelry Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/KevinCaronJewelry and keeps the inventory maintained on both the jewelry section of Kevin’s Web site, which is linked to Etsy for purchase, and overall. She also is working to place the jewelry in gift shops.
“We’re getting a very good reception,” Coleman says. “People are really excited about 3D printing! And Kevin’s bold, contemporary designs are very distinctive. You can see the sculptor’s touch in his jewelry.”
The studio crew is glad to have Coleman on board. “Bonnie Lou has been a great addition to our team,” says business manager Mary Westheimer. “We really appreciate her enthusiasm, knowledge and organizational skills.”
IN THE NEWS: 3D PRINTING FOR BUSINESS AND SHARING WITH COLLEAGUES
Recently, Kevin shared how he is using 3D printing in his business, and provided insights to other artists how he has built his art career.
Writer Adam Haigh let businesspeople, including Kevin, speak for themselves in his article “3D Printing for Business.”
Kevin has been busy with both steel and resin. “It’s an interesting balancing act,” he admits. He works on his metal sculptures at the studio during the day, and on his 3D printed pieces at home in the evenings and on weekends. “It almost reminds me of the early days when I’d drive a truck during the day and work on my sculpture in my ‘off’ hours.”
Two sculptures that he has been working on in the studio have progressed nicely. The fireplace sculpture, now titled Blaze, has been installed (shown below in “One of Your Own” – an official photo is forthcoming). Unlike Kevin’s earlier fireplace sculptures such as Venezia, this functional piece shows more movement. “It looks amazing in my patrons’ fireplace,” he explains.The commission Portal, which makes five rotations compared to his other umbilic torus inspired pieces that rotate three times, is currently at the powder coater getting its finish. “It’s fun to watch people look at this sculpture,” says Kevin. “At first they think it is a simple form, but then they notice its subtleties and can’t take their eyes off of it.” See it before it received its blue finish on its own page. He’s also working on a new commission called Curtains. “It’s a privacy screen, which explains the title,” Kevin explains. This complex project includes 16 panels, each of which is powder-coated, then painted selectively. Watch this project develop on its own page. On the 3D printing front, Kevin has several new sculptures, some of which look like they are 100 years old. “Combining modern technology with more traditional practices has created an amazing look,” says Kevin. That’s obviously apparent with the sculpture Oculum. “People think this sculpture is bronze until they pick it up,” says Kevin. See what you think ….He was so pleased with the look of Oculum, Kevin next applied the same finish to his large 3D printed sculpture Glance(above right, in a photo taken just after its patina was completed), which is headed to Vision Gallery in Chandler, Arizona. “This sculpture has finally come to life,” says Kevin. “It just didn’t seem right until I applied and manipulated this finish.”With Copper Cuff(below left), Kevin also used a metal patina to make the sculpture look like metal. The patinas used on these sculptures have brass and copper suspended in them, so any patinas applied over the top react as if the entire sculpture were metal.Another large filament sculpture, Hot Lips, also is taking shape. “I’ve printed the main section,” Kevin explains, “but I have some additional work I want to do with it.” You can watch this sculpture develop on its own page.
So much of what Kevin has been writing about on his blog A Sculptor’s Take on 3D Printing has been about getting the machines to operate correctly. So in his most recent post, it was fun for him to write about creating art with them. After all, that’s the goal!
That doesn’t mean the prints he’s done recently were perfect. “I don’t think I’ve had a single print I consider ‘perfect,'” says Kevin. “But perfection is not the goal; creating sculptures that have their own spirits is.”
In fact, dealing with imperfections has led to some fascinating developments, specifically using patinas most often used on metal to make some of his 3D sculptures look like they are aged. You can see Glance above, and Copper Cuff(above left) which has a copper finish. (Don’t miss Oculum, the first sculpture Kevin used the patina on, which looks like it was dug up from an ancient city.)
In his blog, Kevin explains how he created the latter two sculptures, which started out as pink and florescent green, respectively. Yes, pink.
Now through March 1, 2015 (Sunday), Winchester, Virginia – Kevin’s sculpture Mustang Sally is one of 270 sculptures in the show “Second Time Around: The Hubcap as Art” at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia. Following the show, Mustang Sally goes on the road as part of a national exhibition of 35 works from this show.
February 12 (Thursday), Phoenix, Arizona – Kevin speaks at the Art Renaissance luncheon about 3D printing. He will have a printer at the event, which is open to the public.
February 15 (Sunday), Phoenix, Arizona – Open Studio at Kevin Caron Studios, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., by appointment only. Contact us at info@kevincaron.com or 602-952-8767 to schedule your visit.
March 7 (Saturday), Scottsdale, Arizona – “Art From the Heart” benefit auction for Free Arts of Arizona, 7 – 9 p.m. at Neiman Marcus. Kevin has donated Big Mama Street Urchin for the event. FMI: www.freeartsaz.org or 602-258-8100
March 10 (Tuesday) – April 24 (Friday), Coolidge, Arizona – “Slash, Swoop, Swerve,” Kevin’s one-person show in Central Arizona College’s Visual Arts Gallery.
March 27 (Friday) – April 27 (Monday), Phoenix, Arizona – Kevin’s sculpture Tiny Tess(right above) will be shown at the Herberger Theater Center Gallery in the show “Action, Excitement and Entertainment.”
April 10 (Friday) – May 30 (Saturday), Yuma, Arizona – The inaugural show of the juried Southwestern Invitational. Kevin’s sculpture Cyclone is part of this show, which travels to five other Arizona cities.
April 12 (Sunday), Phoenix, Arizona – Kevin and Steve Graber of Cereberus 3D, which built Kevin’s Gigante 3D printer, will share the art and science of 3D printing with members of Spirit of the Senses, a group that provides creative stimulation about ideas, design and expression.
NEW VIDEOS ON CHANNEL KEVIN
With 23,000 subscribers and more than 6.5 million views, Kevin’s YouTube how-to videos are causing controversy as well as helping people around the world. “Yes, the video about why you don’t want a welder that will last 40 years has generated a lot of discussion,” Kevin admits.
His video reviews of fabrication equipment have led to Kevin becoming a distributor of welders and plasma cutters manufactured by AHP Tools, Everlast Power Equipment, Inc. and Longevity. “I’ve used this equipment and believe in it,” says Kevin. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t sell it!”
One of the hottest new welders is AHP’s AlphaTIG 200X, which is getting rave reviews from users. “This welder is really appealing to people who want to TIG weld but don’t want to pay a fortune for a high quality machine.” The TIG / stick welder is available for $800, which currently includes shipping.
You can now order the 2015 AlphaTIG or purchase any of Everlast’s or Longevity’s products directly through Kevin. The equipment costs the same as purchasing from any other retailer, and these sales help Kevin pay for his videos. Any warranty issues are covered directly by the manufacturers.
A Phoenix, Arizona, couple just commissioned the contemporary fireplace sculptureBlaze.
Maybe it’s your turn to own a Kevin Caron sculpture.
A sound, water, site-specific or free-standing sculpture adds immeasurable joy and peace to your home or workplace.
Large or small, practical, fanciful or just plain beautiful, they also make wonderful gifts.
If you’d like Kevin to create a special something for you or a friend, just email info@kevincaron.com or call 602-952-8767 to arrange for a privateconsultation.
