Contact Program Contact Gregory Steel School of Arts and Sciences (765) 455-9858 Media Contact Anne-Marie Damler OCM (765) 455-9468 adamler@iuk.edu Mary Ellen Stephenson OCM (765) 455-9414 mestephe@iuk.edu

Sycamore Market Place hosts student art December 7

Detail of Flight

KOKOMO, Ind.—Digging their fingers into clay and embellishing a faded piano, art students at Indiana University Kokomo are creating sculptures they hope will make others think about the connection between art and a revitalized Kokomo downtown.

A one-night showing and auction of the sculptures will be held Thursday, December 7, at the business site that inspired the art, Sycamore Market Place at 115 E. Sycamore St., Kokomo. From 6–8 p.m., the public can meet the student artists and bid on the sculptures in a silent auction. Proceeds will be donated to the Kokomo Downtown Association (KDA) for downtown improvement projects. “We want to put our money where our mouths are,” said student artist Amanda Astarita of Kokomo.

The art work and showing are a result of an ongoing partnership between the campus and KDA that began earlier this year when IU Kokomo Vice Chancellor Stuart Green joined the KDA board of directors. Other IU Kokomo staff members, including Lecturer in Fine Art Gregory Steel, became members of KDA’s design and promotion committees.

Steel brought his sculpture students to Sycamore Market Place in November to draw sketches for the sculptures and to meet the venue’s owner-operators J.R. McIntire and Mike Schembre. The Market Place houses Vincenzo’s Coffee and Ale House; On Point Soup, Salad and Subs; Baja Burritos; Crystal Wand Creations Stained Glass; and Delicate Design Pottery. A musician and the Market Place’s general manager, McIntire recruits both performing and visual artists to enliven the atmosphere. Schembre works his artistry in On Point’s kitchen, cooking homestyle soups and other menu items from choice fresh ingredients. Vincenzo’s offers a wide selection of craft beers and wine, and desserts from Greentown’s Pastry Diva.

“We built this facility for the arts,” said McIntire. “The IU Kokomo art students are helping us explain that goal. We’d love to expand what we do here.” He and Schembre would like to see more arts partnerships with students. “IU Kokomo is an untapped resource for us and the downtown,” Schembre said.

Students enrolled at both IU Kokomo and Purdue University College of Technology Kokomo can take fine arts courses on campus to earn elective credits or a minor in fine arts. Steel’s students worked in small teams on the following four sculptures:

Tower: A multi-level clay and wood structure, whose levels represent arts, cars, music, and Kokomo as the City of Firsts. Team members are Amanda Astarita of Kokomo, double major in nursing and art, IU Kokomo; Brandon Smith of Kokomo, mechanical engineering major, Purdue; and Chris Loudermilk of Westfield, computer graphics major, Purdue.

Flight: A mini-landscape conveying the flight of consumer loyalty from locally owned businesses to national corporations. Team members are Ryan Grooms of Rochester, computer graphics major, Purdue; Cory Denton of Kokomo, computer graphics major, Purdue; and KCee Richardson of Rochester, art education major, IU Kokomo.

Piano: Elements added to a cast-off piano suggest the rich cultural life and music that older objects and environments might contain. Team members are Tyler Dwight of Peru, art education major, IU Kokomo; Demetric Wise of Marion, computer graphic/architecture major, Purdue; and Roger Boruff of Tipton, general studies major, IU Kokomo.

Phoenix: Bright feathers rise from a clay base, signaling new life for the downtown. Team members are Kyle Wine of Fairmount, business major, IU Kokomo, and Malakai Sausaman of Peru, humanities major, IU Kokomo.

“The sculpture project is an excellent example of the growing partnership between IU Kokomo and the Kokomo Downtown Association,” said John Wiles, KDA executive director. “Gregory Steel joined KDA’s design committee earlier this year, and his knowledge and experience have proven invaluable to a committee whose purpose is to preserve and beautify Kokomo’s downtown.”

Admission to the art show is free. Sycamore Market Place’s regular Open Mic Night for local musicians and singers starts immediately after the student show at 8 p.m. on December 7.

For more information on fine arts offerings at Indiana University Kokomo, contact the School of Arts and Sciences at (765) 455-9248.

Tyler Dwight works on Piano.

Demetric Wise, left, and Roger Boruff sculpt clay piano keys.