Art on the Square Uses Grant to Purchase Unique Sculpture for the SCC Historical Society

The “Flame” from sculptor Ron Stinson.

BELLEVILLE – In connection with a matching grant from The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Art on the Square has purchased an 8’ sculpture titled. The sculpture will be installed at the St. Clair County Historical Society’s Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center, located at 705 East Washington St. Belleville. This abstract piece of art can be displayed both indoors and outdoors and is made of Marine Quality Stainless Steel.
About the National Endowment for the Arts – “The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the only arts funder in the United States—public or private—that provides access to the arts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions. Each year, we award thousands of grants to provide everyone in the United States with diverse opportunities for arts participation. We award cost/share matching grants to nonprofit organizations for a wide variety of arts projects, literature fellowships for published creative writers and translators, and partnership agreements with the 62 state/jurisdictional arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Through our programs, we encourage activities that rebuild the creative economy and educate the next generation; unite and heal the nation through the arts; and serve the nation’s arts field. We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups.”
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individual and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
About the St. Clair County Historical Society’s Daphne Sumner Discovery Center – The Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center is a hub for local history featuring the Roger Schlueter Research Library, storage for museum collections, and space for educational programs. The Discovery Center is a 1909 Queen Anne-style house and is currently under renovation. The Historical Society will have a separate dedication ceremony for the ‘Flame’ sculpture at a later date. For more information or to donate, visit https://stcchs.org/discovery/.
About Ron Stinson – Ron Stinson, originally from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has been creating metal sculptures for over forty years. He developed his style by studying nature and strives to capture a sense of motion by creating three-dimensional space with bold structure, vibrant color, and unique textures. Creating a metal sculpture requires many steps. First, Stinson uses a plasma torch to cut the raw stock metal, then he forms the metal by using hands, hammers, and clamps. To bring the different elements together, he MIG welds. Following that, he TIG welds the edges and begins grinding and sand blasting. To get the metal to change colors from amber to deep purple, he uses an oxy/acetylene torch. Stinson then hand cleans the sculptures with a sandblaster which brings out the different colors. Chemical paints are also added which creates shades of blue, green, burgundies, gold, and silver. After that, the sculptures are oven-fired with a weather-proof, powder coating. For more information on Stinson and his work, visit Home(metalexpressions.com)
About Art on the Square – 2022 marks the 20th Anniversary show for Art on the Square. This year’s event will take place May 13-15, with free admissions to all visitors. Founded in 2002, Art on the Square has been consistently ranked as the #1 and #2 juried art show in the nation by Art Fair Source Book. For more information on this year’s Art on the Square show, visit artonthesquare.com