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Volume 6, Number 43 | November 27. 2014
Future is sewn James Surls assistant Tai Pomara guides the twoton “Sewing the Future” onto its concrete pedestal in the new Carbondale roundabout on Nov. 20. The internationally known sculptor donated his time and design for the $200,000 steel and bronze piece. A fundraising committee comprised of Connie and Jim Calaway, and Sue Edelstein, spearheaded the drive to raise the funds to pay for materials, fabrication and related costs; Jay Walker Lodge Director Mark Kloster engaged clients to volunteer on the effort, while Jody Ensign helped behind the scenes. The project’s roots actually date back about six years ago when Edelstein and fellow Carbondale Public Arts Commission (CPAC) member Sherrill Stone first pitched the idea to Surls in his Missouri Heights studio. The town trustees voted 7-0 in 2013 to accept and take ownership of a Surls sculpture. The Calaways kicked off the fundraising drive with a $100,000 donation. According to interviews and a Surls website, “Sewing the Future” is a symbolic work. The green base represents the vessel and is a symbol of the female giving forth the thread of life. The thread runs through three needles, which represent art, science and philosophy. The other three elements are the jewel, the flower and tree with eyes, all of which are common Surls themes. “All of these elements derive from the very nature that gives us our existence on the earth. The jewel is the equal to and represents the crystal, the purest element of life. … Parallel to this are the flower and the tree, both of which humans would be hard pressed to live without. … ,” Surls said on the fundraising drive’s website. Surls recently told KAJX reporter Marci Krivonen that as a piece of public art, and with motorists driving past it on their way to somewhere else, viewers will only look at the sculpture for one or two seconds at a time. But over time, viewers will come to absorb the piece on a “subliminal level” and build a sensibility “to what it is.” He told Krivonen he is “proud and grateful” for the opportunity to donate “Sewing the Future” to Carbondale, as people will view it for decades to come. “I’m very pleased with it.” For photos of the sculpture’s installation, please turn to pages 18-19. Photo by Lynn Burton
1030 Highway 133 CARBONDALE 704--1104 1104