Walk by any art you like today?
If you haven’t, Douglas County has an online road map leading the way to 27 outdoor artworks installed across the county this year for public enjoyment.
The sculptures represent the 2017 class of the county’s Art Encounters program.
Cooked up by the Douglas County Cultural Council as a way to stir interest in public art, pump up civic pride and maybe attract a few extra visitors, Art Encounters has been trotting out unique pieces of art every year since 2008.
This year’s exhibition includes sculptures in Parker, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Roxborough Park.
This year’s show includes something bound to tickle the interest of just about any art fan. There is “Bazinga,” a brightly colored, spiky piece from artist Shannon Sargent that practically shouts the words “ka pow” that are emblazoned upon it at its viewers. It’s located in the heart of downtown Parker at 19565 Mainstreet. Just a few blocks away, at 19650 E. Mainstreet, is the mellow, abstract wood construction “Double Bench II” by Matthias Neumann. (For those that really love the pieces and want to take them home at the exhibition, “Bazinga” and “Double Bench II” can be had for $6,000 each, according to the Art Encounters website.)
At 8361 N. Rampart Range Road, near the Waterton Tavern in Roxborough, stands the regal — and aptly named — “Iron Horse,” a metalwork by Janene DiRico-Cable. A little further north, at 9635 N. Rampart Range Road, on the rim of Chatfield State Park, is the simple and elegant “Tenderness.” The stone carving by Reno Carollo depicts two figures melded together in a loving embrace.
For the discerning art fan, the good news is that anyone who checks out the Art Encounters pieces can be a juror in a best-in-show contest. The artist who created the piece that garners the People’s Choice Award will receive a $1,000 prize. Everyone is eligible to vote online. Pick your favorite sculpture at www.douglas.co.us/artencounters/vote4art. Voting is open through Sept. 4. The 2017 winner will be announced shortly after.
More than 200 pieces of public art in a variety of mediums have been displayed around Douglas County through the Art Encounters program. Funding is provided, in part, by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and the Philip S. Miller Trust in Castle Rock.