Western Wheatgrass
2024
Steel, foam, paint.
This sculpture was designed by Design and Build 2024 Artist Fellow, Charles Levesque as part of his capstone project for the fellowship. Below is Levesque’s artist statement about the concept.
“Western Wheatgrass is considered common and plentiful in this part of the country. It survives in extreme weather, keeps the soil intact, and is easily overlooked. The core concept that I am playing with is how out of a field of grass, a few blades have been selected to rise to the occasion. The occasion is the MOA Design and Build program, of which I am the fourth fellow at the new location. In this piece, there will be six blades of grass. Three for the past fellows, one for the current, and one for the future. I have also included a blade for the resource artist who plays a major part in this program. On each blade of grass are eight seeds which represent the interns. The interns rise with the fellow to eventually fly away, starting their own journey. All in all, I believe this is a welcoming representation of the MOA Design and Build program.”
Special thanks to Leigh, Mark and Greg Levesque for their assistance with the installation of this artwork.
Design and Build 2024: Exploring the Luminous Shadow
Design and Build 2024- Exploring the Luminous Shadow
On View August 3, 2024 – December 6, 2024
Eight emerging artist interns came together over the summer, through our annual Design and Build Summer Internship Program, to collaboratively create several unique, site-specific installations for MOA’s Marjorie Park in only 8 weeks! Emerging artists worked under the direction of our 2043 Artist Fellow, Charles Levesque, and Resource Artist, Walter Ware, with additional assistance by Reece Bailey and Patrick Stolper.
The theme provided to the artists in 2024 was “light and shadow.” Join us for the opening reception and unveiling on August 3rd, 5-8pm to see these unique installations throughout Marjorie Park.
Emerging Artists:
Isabel Angulo
Josephine Clark
Oliver Cruz
Michael Earle
Zavier Gierisch
Katie Knudsen
August Ostrow
Christian Smith
The creation of our 2024 projects were generously supported through a facilities partnership with the University of Colorado Denver, College of Arts and Media and Metropolitan State University of Denver. Artworks were created within the sculpture fabrication studios on Auraria campus.