Pleasant Hill Arts Foundation

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If you prefer to pay by check, it can be made payable to the Pleasant Hill Arts Foundation and mailed to 5160 Maple Drive, Pleasant Hill IA 50327.

About the Art

Pleasant Hill Gate, this piece by Juanjo Novella will be located at the new Hickory Glen Park. Initially designed for the roundabout, it was thought to be better suited by a park atmosphere that allows for interaction. It will be 26 feet tall. Fabrication will begin once funding is secured.

About the Artist

Novella's decade of creating and installing public art has made him an internationally acclaimed artist who works exclusively with sculptures in public spaces. Novella's work is a sensorial experimentation of space and places an importance on creating a symbolic landmark that welcomes visitors and can serve as the background for a scene. His work can be found in Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Lubbock, TX, and more.

Funding

50% of the Funding for this sculpture has been provided by Bravo Greater Des Moines and donations are currently being sought to complete the funding needed to install this work.

About the Art

"Phoenix" by Volkan Alkanoglu will be located in the roundabout at the intersection of NE 70th Street and Rising Sun Drive. It will stand 26 feet high and be visible from E University Ave.

About the Artist

Alkanoglu has been featured in international publications and worked on many international award winning projects. He currently holds long-term faculty positions at Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the Southern California Institute of Architecture. He has public art installations at the University of Oregon, University of Maryland, Salt Lake Community College and more.

Funding

Funding for this sculpture has been provided by Bravo Greater Des Moines, private donations, and the City of Pleasant Hill

Mission

  • Create a cultural identity for the community
  • Encourage economic development
  • Enhance the quality of life and create a sense of community pride

Why Support Public Art?

  • It fosters civic engagement
  • It attracts outside investments in communities
  • It drives tourism, adding economic value to our community
  • Provides educational opportunities
  • Creates a more connected community

How were these two sculptures selected?


A partnership with the Greater Des Moines Art Foundation and the Pleasant Hill Arts Advisory Commission led to 127 responses to a call to artists for a sculpture to be located at NE 70th Street and Rising Sun Drive. A blind jury from these two organizations reviewed work previous work submitted by the artists and narrowed the candidates to twenty. The twenty remaining artists were thoroughly vetted through from their resumes and previous artwork. This narrowed the candidate pool to two remaining artists. The final two artists, Volkan Alkanoglu and Juanjo Novella were invited to create a piece and present in front of the jury. These presentations led to the selection of both, Alkanoglu for the roundabout location and the Novella for Hickory Glen Park, which showed an art piece installation as part of its master plan.