Vote for the 2022-24 SculpTour People’s Choice Winner! 

One vote (LIKE) per person per day. Winning piece is not guaranteed to be purchased as part of the permanent art collection, but the Suwanee Public Art Commission will take the accolade into account.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Jason Dozer

“Testing, testing, one, two….” This piece brings to mind the classic microphones of the past. The artist hopes that it will inspire everyone to speak up, to share ideas and feelings, to bring the world together as only music can. It is fabricated from aluminum and stainless steel, stands six feet tall, and weighs approximately 250 lbs.

This is artist Jason Dozer’s first piece created specifically for a public art exhibit. His most famous project, of a pair of 14-foot tall Les Paul guitars, resides outside of 37 Main in Gainesville, Georgia. As both a singer and a machinist, Jason’s metal works are heavily impacted by music. At his one-man business in Sugar Hill, Metaldozer Machine Works, Jason has made custom mic stands for many of the world’s biggest artists, including Prince, Robert Plant, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kevin Hart, and Reba McEntire.

See more of this artist’s work at metaldozer.com.

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Metaphysica

Phil Proctor

This is a non-representational work that attempts to elicit a reaction or emotion through the use of abstract geometry, composition, and color. Just because we do not recognize the form as an identifiable object, we still somehow make a visual connection that leads to an inspiring or intriguing experience. This piece is fabricated of steel, stands 15 feet tall, and weighs 4,000 lbs. You may recognize Metaphysica from the 2019-2022 SculpTour exhibit. This sculpture was voted a fan favorite and as such, the Public Art Commission made the decision to keep it for another round of the exhibit.

Phil Proctor holds a BFA from the University of Southern Mississippi and a MFA from East Carolina University. He has been a working artist in his Atlanta, Georgia studio for the past sixteen years. Proctor has permanent sculpture installations throughout the Southeast, as well as in countries across Western Europe.

See more of this artist’s work at philproctor.com.

 

Other Pieces in the City

• The Herd – SculpTour 2015-17 People’s Choice Winner
  Cemetery at corner of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Buford Highway
• Iron Canopy – 2013-15 SculpTour People’s Choice Winner
  Town Center Park
• Avonlea – private commission for Artisan Apartment Homes
• Close Encounter – private commission for Maven Apartment Homes

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Griffin

Jonathan Bowling

A few years into graduate school, artist Jonathan Bowling began creating animal sculptures, as he felt they were more accessible to most people than abstraction. He’s been making them now for over 25 years, only recently adding mythical beasts as a way expand upon the theme. He has made an entire series (chimera, centaur, pegasus, minotaur) which has led him to work on other mythical entities such as dragons and gods. The griffin – a combination of an eagle and a lion – is fabricated of recycled material. It stands approximately eight feet tall, and weighs 700 lbs

Jonathan Bowling earned his BFA from Kentucky University and his MFA in sculpture at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where he still resides. Bowling has shown extensively in the Eastern US, resulting in a number of lease agreements and sales to municipalities and private collectors.

See more of this artist’s work at jonathanbowling.com.

Other Pieces in the City

• Corey – SculpTour 2015-17
  The Terraces at Suwanee Gateway

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Giraffe – 2013-15 exhibit
• LOVE – 2017-19 exhibit
• Cow & Calf – 2019-22 exhibit

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Core Red

Adam Walls

The artist wanted this piece to share some resemblance to aquatic animals, vegetation, and the notion of new life springing forth to become the next generation. He’s certain that different audiences will come up with their own interpretations (does anyone see a space creature?), but whatever you come up with, he hopes that you will enjoy the sculpture as the fun and colorful experience it was meant to be. This piece is fabricated from steel and automotive paint, is eight feet tall, and weighs approximately 200 lbs.

South Carolina native Adam Walls has been creating art for public exhibition since 2004. He received his BA in art education from Limestone College and taught art in art centers, public schools, and out of his own studio, until receiving his MFA in sculpture from Winthrop University. Adam’s work has appeared in Sculpture Magazine, has been the topic of discussion on NPR and ETV, and has been exhibited in over one hundred outdoor sculpture exhibitions. Adam currently resides in Blacksburg, South Carolina and serves as the head of the sculpture program at the University of North Carolina Pemboke.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Faith – 2015-17 exhibit
• Ball and the Red Staircase – 2015-17 exhibit
• Father and Son – 2015-17 exhibit

See more of this artist’s work at adamwallssculpture.com.

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Blossom

Joni Younkins-Herzog

This piece is an abstracted bloom based on tropical plants and the artist’s appreciation for metalsmithing. The artist’s sculptures combine beauty with absurdity, often blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. She likes to lure the viewer in with luscious colors and materials to contemplate the content in close proximity. This piece is fabricated of steel, copper, plastic, and paint. It stands seven feet tall and weighs 75 lbs.

Joni Younkins-Herzog grew up in the suburban sprawl outside of Atlanta. After enjoying extended undergraduate studies in Athens, Georgia, she moved to pursue her MFA in sculpture from Indiana University. She has since returned and made Athens her home. Her work has been featured in exhibitions across the country as well as internationally. Her sculptures are often hybrids, psychological mythologies, and manifestations of the human body.

See more of this artist’s work at joniyounkinsherzog.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• You’ll Shoot You Eye Out – 2017-19 exhibit

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Mr. Rings

Gus and Lina Ocamposilva

This sculpture was created to honor the freedom of the human spirit. It reflects the discipline required to fulfill dreams and achieve success regardless of how difficult it may be; in this case, defying one of the four fundamental forces of nature: gravity. This piece is fabricated of aluminum and enamel paint, stands 16 feet tall and weighs 300 lbs.

Gus and Lina Ocamposilva are a husband-and-wife team of self-taught sculptors who see the world in countless colors; diverse and vibrant, dynamic and exciting. Their artwork speaks of movement, colors, magic, and poetry. Throughout the years they have worked in various media, expressing themselves in from table top-size pieces to 20 foot tall sculptures. Their work can be found in private collections and public exhibitions across the United States. The Ocamposilvas reside in Oldsmar, Florida.

See more of this artist’s work at guslina.com.

Other Pieces in the City

• Sunset – SculpTour 2011
  Sims Lake Park

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Magic Rain – 2011 exhibit

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Monocotyledon: Genesis

Etienne Jackson

This sculpture references the parallel relationship that humans and plants share in their process of growth and development. Monocotyledons bear one leaf at a time along a liner growth pattern, serving as a metaphor for time and progress. The form of this sculpture references the point just as the first leaf is beginning to show itself, bringing new life. This sculpture is fabricated from steel, stands ten feet tall, and weighs 400 lbs.

Etienne Jackson is an Alabama native who currently works out of his Atlanta studio as a sculptor and fabricator. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College and his MFA from Georgia State University. His work focuses on memory and mnemonic associations with objects, patterns, forms, and spaces that create connections to our past, present, and future. His professional experiences include Adjunct Professor of Art at Kennesaw State University, Urban Planner for the City of Atlanta, and Public Art Manager for the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

See more of this artist’s work at etiennejackson.sculptor.

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Inter-Dimensional Species

Claudia Jane Klein

This piece is based on the idea that there are countless realities that we cannot see. Within this space, the artist imagines different life forms flourishing independently of what we call everyday life. These exotic forms are neither plant, animal, nor human; however, they possess intense energy and playfulness. They move to their own rhythm while being intertwined with fibrous stuff that connects them to space and each other. The sculpture is fabricated of powder-coated aluminum with a patina, lacquer, and wax topcoat. It stands ten feet tall and weighs 250 lbs.

Claudia Jane Klein studied art at Albert Lea College in Minnesota and Metropolitan College in Denver, Colorado. She apprenticed with Louis Mendez for ceramic sculpture, and studied welding and fabrication in trade schools. She has worked from her studio in Lake Worth Beach, Florida for the past 26 years. Her sculptures can be found in the private collections of cities and corporations across the US.

See more of this artist’s work at claudiajaneklein.com.

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Love, Suwanee

On loan from the private collection of Mellow Mushroom / Home Grown Industries, Inc.

Amor... Amour... Liebe... Kærlighed... Iubire... Lyubit'... Mohabbat... Ài... Pi'āra... Upendo... Uthando... Bhālabāsā... there are so many ways to say LOVE! (And even more ways to SHOW love!)

You may recognize LOVE, Suwanee from the 2019-2022 SculpTour exhibit. This sculpture was voted a fan favorite and, as such, the Public Art Commission made the decision to keep it for another round of the exhibit. Since its installation in 2019, it has been the site of many of prom, engagement, wedding, and family photos

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The Great Contributors: Harriet Tubman Bench

Gary Lee Price

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman was one of the first abolitionists and a ‘conductor’ of the Underground Railroad – a network dedicated to the liberation and freedom of those who were enslaved during the era of American slavery. The artist sculpted Tubman in one of her rare moments of repose in order for you to sit and converse with her on the topics of bravery and courage. This piece is fabricated of bronze, is just over four feet long, and weighs approximately 500 lbs.

Idaho native Gary Lee Price creates sculpture to lift the human spirit. His work can be found in public and private collections around the world. This piece is part of his ‘The Great Contributors’ series, which features the opportunity to sit alongside the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Mark Twain, Mother Teresa, and Joan of Arc, to name a few. The artist is a fellow of the National Sculpture Society. He and his wife have nine children and 17 grandchildren. They currently reside in Arizona where he continues to sculpt full-time, while also overseeing production at his foundry, Alchemy Arts in Utah.

See more of this artist’s work at garyleeprice.com.

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Sunburst

Hanna Jubran

The concept of this piece focuses on depicting the early morning, the first appearance of radiating light beams followed by a burst of the sunrise from the clouds. This sculpture represents the cycle of life and the notion that all things are connected. The play of light off the sanded stainless steel creates heavenly spaces and ever-changing patterns of light throughout the day; the bronze represents the sun’s energy; and the extended parts represent rays of energy escaping from the spherical center. This sculpture is fabricated from stainless steel and bronze. It stands seven feet tall and weighs 250 lbs.

Hanna Jubran received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently a sculpture professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. His work is an expression of the universal concepts of joy, passion, and a celebration of life. For the past 30 years he has created large-scale public sculpture for both exhibitions and private collections across the US.

See more of this artist’s work at hannajubran.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Three Muses – 2015-17 exhibit
• Lifecycle – 2017-19 exhibit

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Mommy

Lee Benson, Benson Sculpture

This piece was conceived in response to the relationship small children have with their mothers as expressed in their drawings. It was created to capture a particular drawing that the artist’s granddaughter, Reese Benson, drew when she was very young. It’s a fond walk down memory lane that the artist is hoping to create with this sculpture. This piece is fabricated of powder-coated steel. It stands nine feet tall and weighs approximately 400 lbs. (significantly larger than Reese’s actual mom).

Benson Sculpture is a family of six artists, each maintaining their own studios in three different states. Lee Benson is the patriarch of this creative family of faith. In their public and personal work, they develop art that is at the forefront of current events but also steeped in a worldview that is an ancient as humankind. They flourish personally as a family in the visual arts, living and working in a collaborative environment that produces exceptional responses to the eternal questions that move the human culture forward in the search for meaning and purpose. Lee Benson is chair of the art department at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

See more of this artist’s work at bensonsculpturellc.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Love Hurts (Aaron Benson) – 2015-17 exhibit

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Portal Majestic 

Nathan Pierce

The artist loves to create the surprise that we get from seeing out-of-the-ordinary things in ordinary places. That moment of surprise helps bring awareness to our surroundings and creates an opportunity to reimagine our sense of place, activate our imaginations, and help us the see the world differently. In this work, the artist has been exploring the idea of unity and how we learn to feel connected through new perspectives. This piece is fabricated of weathered steel. It stands ten feet tall and weighs 800 lbs.

Nathan Pierce was raised in the Midwest where his father, a third-generation stonemason, taught him the value of craftsmanship. From this experience grew an appreciation for the working man, as well as a passion for building things with his hands. His large-scale public sculptures reflect his personal interest in architectural forms and the conflicts of freedom and confinement. He finds that he enjoys the dedication and commitment that is required to work with structural steel – he feels that it helps to build character. Nathan’s work has been displayed extensively in public outdoor exhibits across the Midwest and the South. He has created monumental commissioned pieces for private collections in Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia. He currently resides in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

See more of this artist’s work at nspsculpture.com

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Chinese New Year mural

North Gwinnett High School National Art Honor Society

Members of the North Gwinnett HS National Art Honor Society submitted designs for a wall mural that would be included in the 2022 SculpTour exhibit. Several designs were received; the design selected was a colorful and fun representation of the Chinese zodiacs by Li Lin. Li was intrigued by the zodiac signs when she was a young child and wanted to incorporate her culture into the design. The open space in the center of mural is meant to provide the viewers with an interactive space to take photos with the surrounding zodiacs. Interesting fact: The cat on the side of the mural is meant to be an Easter egg, since the cat is not part of the Chinese zodiacs.

• Sponsor: Dallas Gillespie
• Co-Sponsor: Karen Campbell
• Li Lin
• Amiti Arunmozhi
• Morgan Chen
• Ethan Choi
• Kayla Eyles
• Casey Fancher
• Juha Hwang
• Ellina Jung
• Yuna Kim

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Tangled

Fred Ajanogha

The concept for this sculpture of two intertwined fish came to the artist while he and his family were walking along the Chattahoochee River watching turtles and small fish along the bank. In that moment, he was reminded that no matter how technologically advanced we become, no matter how many differences we count between us, our spirit and our community will forever be intertwined with nature and with each other. This piece is fabricated of stone cast, stands seven feet tall, and weighs 250 lbs.

Fred Ajanogha is based in Atlanta and is the sole proprietor of Ajano Art. He has over 40 years of experience in design and fabrication of sculptures in both public and private settings. He specializes in creating realistic life-size figurative sculptures. Fred is originally from Benin, Nigeria.

See more of this artist’s work at ajanoart.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Music from My Father – 2013-15 exhibit

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Devil Fish

Todd Kappes Frahm

A nickname for large rays, Devil Fish is an attempt to render an unforgiving, rigid material, fluid. The gentle manta ray flies effortlessly through the deep. This sculpture is the artist’s homage to their quiet beauty. This piece is fabricated from powder-coated steel. It stands just over 11 feet tall and weighs 400 lbs.

Artist Todd Frahm is from Asheville, North Carolina where he co-owns Stone Cloud Studio. He earned his BFA in sculpture from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and received his MFA from Southern Illinois University. Stone Cloud Studio is a collaborative venture that couples the talents of Lara Nguyen and Todd Frahm, while holding public art as a primary focus. They have created large-scale public works both nationally and internationally. One of Frahm’s most-recognized sculptures is a large limestone piece, Birth of Flight, at the Indianapolis International Airport.

See more of this artist’s work at stonecloudstudio.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Fighting for Alpha – 2017-19 exhibit
• Basin & Range – 2019-22 exhibit
• Apollo’s Scorn – 2019-22 exhibit

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Tangled Hare

Todd Kappes Frahm

This sculpture is made entirely from industrial drops (steel remnants from a fabrication process). By repurposing material destined for scrap, overseas freight, and eventually subsequent smelting, the artist’s intervention temporarily sequesters carbon in a tiny effort to offset the adverse effects of his pursuits. This piece is fabricated of steel. It stands just under seven feet tall and weighs 1000 lbs.

Artist Todd Frahm is from Asheville, North Carolina where he co-owns Stone Cloud Studio. He earned his BFA in sculpture from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and received his MFA from Southern Illinois University. Stone Cloud Studio is a collaborative venture that couples the talents of Lara Nguyen and Todd Frahm, while holding public art as a primary focus. They have created large-scale public works both nationally and internationally. One of Frahm’s most-recognized sculptures is a large limestone piece, Birth of Flight, at the Indianapolis International Airport.

See more of this artist’s work at stonecloudstudio.com.

Previous SculpTour Pieces

• Fighting for Alpha – 2017-19 exhibit
• Basin & Range – 2019-22 exhibit
• Apollo’s Scorn – 2019-22 exhibit