Reprinted with permission of
the Journal-News
By Carmen M. Henderson
JournalNews
HAMILTON — The city of Hamilton added a eighth sculpture to
its downtown collection Sunday afternoon.
Before an intimate crowd on South Monument Street, Dennis Baker
of Montgomery unveiled his metal sculpture, called “Star Formation.” “This is a
big day for me. I’ve dreamed of this for a long time,” said Baker, who is an
artist in residence for the City of Sculpture. “It’s abstract, contemporary
art. It’s not a bronze. I thought it would make a nice contrast.”
The new sculpture, made of metal objects from a local
scrapyard and inspired by astronomy, is the latest addition to the seven
sculptures already in place throughout downtown. The sculptures have been obtained
through the efforts of the City of Sculpture committee.
The idea for the 21/2-story sculpture developed as Baker
spent weekends at the scrap yard looking for different shapes of metal. Just
gathering the material took 10 months. “It looked like stars to me when I put
it all together,” he said of the artwork. Baker is the for artist-in-residence
for the City of Sculpture committee. Further, the artist said, “I’m grateful to
be an artist-in-residence. This wouldn’t have happened without the board or the
city of Hamilton.”
Reaction from the sculpture drew “oohs” and “ahhs” of
appreciation from those who attended the unveiling. Baker said the piece also
is meant to be seen by those who drive by the sculpture, which is located near
the Fitton Center for Creative Arts on Monument Street.
City of Sculpture officials and Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan were
on hand to unveil the sculpture and express their appreciation. “This is a lasting tribute to the city,
thanks to the City of Sculpture. It adds to the wealth of our city,” the mayor
said.
The two-year-old committee formed to obtain and place sculptures throughout the city, in the manner of Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum on Hamilton-Cleves Road. “I think it’s an excellent piece,” said Harry T. Wilks, founder of Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum. “This is going to lead us into a full-time artist-in-residence program. We’ll bring in artists from all over the country.”