Sculptor Kent Ullberg's "The Guardian" Commissioned to Grace New Michael Graves-designed Federal Reserve Bank in Houston
Sculptor Kent Ullberg, who works out of studios in Loveland, Colorado and Corpus Christi, Texas, has been chosen as the winning artist in a competition to select a sculpture for the entry plaza at the new Federal Reserve Bank building at 1801 Allen Parkway in Houston. The contest was judged by Federal Reserve representatives and Michael Graves, the building's architect and the recipient of the 2001 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal.
(PRWEB) February 7, 2005 -- Sculptor Kent Ullberg, who works out of studios
in Loveland, Colorado and Corpus Christi, Texas, has been chosen as the winning
artist in a competition to select a sculpture for the main entrance of the new
Federal Reserve Bank building at 1801 Allen Parkway in Houston. The contest was
judged by Federal Reserve representatives and Michael Graves, the building's
architect and the recipient of the 2001 American Institute of Architects Gold
Medal.
Judges commissioned Ullberg's "The Guardian," which depicts a
perched eagle with its wings spread wide. The massive piece, 12 feet tall and 20
feet wide, will be installed atop an 18-foot column at the main entrance to the
building. The piece is now being cast at Art Castings of Colorado in Loveland,
Colorado (www.artcastings.com), and will be dedicated the first week of
June.
The building, a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, was
designed by Graves in cooperation with Houston-based architectural firm Pierce
Goodwin Alexander and Linville (PGAL). Graves was selected after a nationwide
search for an architect whose work would reflect the site’s historic location
within the Fourth Ward and near the Buffalo Bayou, as well as the broader
regional architecture. Linbeck Construction Co. of Houston is supervising
construction, which is expected to be completed this summer.
This branch
of the Dallas Fed, the site of the former Jefferson Davis Hospital, replaces the
agency's current facility on San Jacinto Street. Fed representatives note that
Graves was selected for his talent for focusing on historical context within the
urban environment, and he has designed a building that will be a monumental yet
approachable focal point for all of Houston. The building helps create a gateway
to Houston's downtown, and is designed to capture the multicultural,
international and industrial traditions of a contemporary city while staying
loyal to the classical foundations of the Federal Reserve System. The Dallas Fed
serves the Eleventh Federal Reserve District, which encompasses Texas, northern
Louisiana and southern New Mexico, and also has branches in San Antonio and El
Paso.
Houston art lovers will have the chance to enjoy more of Ullberg's
work this summer and fall, when a retrospective exhibit featuring 48 pieces from
throughout his career will be on display at the Houston Museum of Natural
Science from August 15th until October 30th.
About Kent Ullberg
A
native of Sweden, Kent Ullberg is recognized as one of the world’s foremost
wildlife sculptors. While he has done hundreds of works on a small scale, he is
perhaps best known for the monumental works he has executed for museums and
municipalities from Omaha, Nebraska to Cape Town, South Africa. His Fort
Lauderdale, Florida and Omaha, Nebraska installations are the largest wildlife
bronze compositions ever done, spanning several city blocks. Regardless of
scale, he imbues all of his subjects with unparalleled vitality.
Ullberg
is a member of a number of important art organizations that have honored him
with prestigious awards. These include, in New York City, Allied Artists of
America, National Academy of Design, National Arts Club, National Sculpture
Society and the Society of Animal Artists. The National Academy of Design
elected Ullberg a full “Academician,” one of the highest recognitions a visual
artist can receive. His memberships and awards outside New York include the
American Society of Marine Artists, Ambler, Pennsylvania; and the National
Academy of Western Art, Oklahoma City, which awarded him the Prix de West Award
in 1998, the foremost award in western art. He is a major supporter of many
wildlife conservation efforts.
Ullberg’s work can be found in major
museums and corporate headquarters around the globe, including the National
Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, Sweden; the National Gallery in
Botswana, Africa; National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.; Exhibition
Hall, Beijing, China; the Guildhall in London, and many more. His pieces can
also be found in the private collections of world leaders and celebrities,
including H.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Jack Nicholson and Robert
Wagner. He maintains studios in Loveland, Colorado and Corpus Christi, Texas.
For more information, call (970) 667-7809 or (361) 851-1600, or email e-mail
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Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb205698.htm