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     MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 3682 Registered: 5-2001  |
S. Orange plans for artwork by native son Funding is raised for a Tony Smith By SARA K. CLARKE STAR-LEDGER STAFF Fundraisers in South Orange are out in full force to raise the $190,000 in private money needed to complete a public sculpture by native son and famed contemporary artist Tony Smith. The commissioning of Smith's hulking metal sculpture Tau is estimated to cost $440,000 once expenses for fabricating, transporting, installing and designing the site are factored in, said Village Trustee Eric DeVaris. Costs also include relocating a gazebo. The Tony Smith Estate gave South Orange the second of three rights to create the limited-edition Tau. The first Tau is at Hunter College in Manhattan. Village President Bill Calabrese expects construction for the sculpture to begin in the spring. A $250,000 community development grant will pay part of the costs. For fundraisers, the village's commitment to the artwork means the process of getting money can move forward. "Potential donors, both small and large, were saying, `Give us a call when you know it's going to happen,'" said Cheryl Arnedt, director of the Tony Smith Sculpture Project. Arnedt's group raised $50,000 at a gala three years ago, attended by 250 people. The money was used to get the project started — for architectural planning, publicity and future fundraising efforts. But the administrative process has hampered the group's ability to sign up donors. Since the village officially accepted the gift this spring, fundraising is going more smoothly, said Arnedt, who declined to say how much has been raised toward the $190,000 goal. Once the money is raised, the village of South Orange, with just under 17,000 residents, will join the list of cities such as Seattle, Washington, D.C., New York and Munich that boast a Tony Smith. "For a town our size to be acquiring a Tony Smith sculpture, there is a huge buzz in the art community," said Judy Wukitsch, president of the Lennie Pierro Memorial Arts Foundation, which heads the Tony Smith Sculpture Project. "It's been a very grassroots project," said Wukitsch. Wukitsch's quest for a Tony Smith sculpture began in 1997, after the Museum of Modern Art featured a retrospective of the artist's work. She and her late husband discovered then that the famed artist — featured in 1967 on the cover of Time magazine — was actually from South Orange. Some in the community still remember the days — from the mid-1950s to about 1970, they say — when Smith would construct plywood mockups of his sculptures in the yard of his home on Stanley Road. "He was like a kid playing with giant Legos," said David Schechner, who lived near Smith. "All of a sudden, one day you discovered that the crazy stuff that was going on in the backyard was famous," Schechner said. Despite the local pride and nostalgia, not all is perfect with the project. At least a few people are concerned about where the sculpture will go, and how much it will cost. Some say the sculpture, which measures 21 feet at its widest, will be cramped at its planned location in the plaza on Sloan Street, between the train station and the firehouse. "Something this large is not meant to be crumped up," said Sheena Collum, a student at nearby Seton Hall University. "A better location will better highlight the work." And while residents of South Orange may be eager to honor a long-time resident whose sculptures have adorned prestigious art venues that include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, some aren't eager to pay out of the taxpayers' pockets. Village resident Michael Goldberg felt the public funds might be better spent on other town needs — things such as the library, the pool and recreation outlets. "There's a thousand things I can think of," said Goldberg. "The fundamental question is, `Is this our priority?'" And while he voted in support of the sculpture, Trustee Mark Rosner said the full costs were not apparent initially, and he would have thought twice about spending more than $100,000. "Shame on me for not asking for all the details when we had the initial vote," said Rosner. Despite the sticking points, Rosner said, "I honestly think more people are in favor of the sculpture than are against it." |
