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No Couch Potatoes Here Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2006
Contact: Allison Graff, Art in Public Places Director, 358-3600
Whimsical Chair Artworks Installed for the PAL at the Ed Austin Regional Park
Jacksonville, Fla. – The Jacksonville Art in Public Places program has completed a recent installation at the Police Athletic League (PAL) at Ed Austin Regional Park, formerly known as the Dunes Regional Park, located at 3450 Monument Road. The artwork entitled, “No Couch Potatoes Here,” was designed by architects Roxanne Horvath and Peter Rumpel, both of St. Augustine.
The sculpture is a grouping of three colorful oversized sized chairs built of glazed-tile concrete block and handmade glass tiles. Each chair measures approximately 5-feet by 6-feet. The chair backs depict abstract shapes associated with football, basketball and tennis – all activities that are offered to the students who utilize the PAL building for after-school activities. The sculpture sits on a berm which forms an outdoor amphitheater used for small gatherings.
“We hope that the young people who use this facility will adopt this sculpture as an important part of their PAL experience,” said Horvath. “Peter and I conceived of it as a participatory artwork that allows the community to envision themselves as excelling in the sports represented in the chairs. Our hope is that it will serve as an invitation to use the amphitheater for events and that people will enjoy posing and playing on the chairs.”
Steps, made of railroad ties, are currently under construction in the amphitheater to allow for better seating. The railroad ties were donated by CSX Transportation.
The artists’ proposal was chosen from a field of more than 32 entries from around the country by an Art Selection Committee. Roxanne Horvath and Peter Rumpel have collaborated on many projects including award-winning architectural structures. Their architectural company, CRG Architects, Planners, Inc., designs for residential, commercial and institutional projects both private and public.
Their studio works include photography, collage, painting, digital work, and sculpture. Both artists have exhibited regionally. Rumpel has shown at the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, and Horvath was a featured artist at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens’ “Vision 2000.”
Since 2003, more than 23 public art works have been installed by the City of Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places program, which is administered by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. To see the art works or to learn more about the program visit www.culturalcouncil.org.
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