“to set the stage”
Cultural Education Center, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas
Project Synopsis:
Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas commissioned the Mise-en-Scène© project in February 1989 for their new Cultural Education Center (classrooms, offices, three theatres, art gallery).
The project entailed 100' of sculpted brick installed on three interior walls (two horizontal; one vertical).
The subject theme for Mise-en-Scène© was agreed upon by the college, the project architect (Mark Viets, AIA, Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc., Westwood KS) and the Sculptor. The design was developed by the Sculptor and then approved by the other project participants as well as the campus art advisory board.
Mise-en-Scène© includes thirty-two (32) seven-foot-plus theatrical figures that represent the different disciplines and different historical eras of the performing arts.
The design works to visualize some of the emotional impact of the performing arts of drama, comedy, tragedy and dance. The bas-relief figures project a maximum 5 ½" from the brick facade.
The original brick sculpting was completed at Kansas Brick & Tile Company, Hoisington, Kansas during November and December 1989. All carving was done on a 16' x 10' floor-standing easel. The brick material used for the project was an 8" x 8" x 4" product shape. The complete work used 4,000 brick solids (approximately 20 lbs. each). The brick was handled three times by the sculptor, twice by the brick production plant and once by the masons.
Installation took place during April 1990. The sculpture is installed throughout the first floor and ground floor lobbies to greet the theatre-goers and to dramatically frame the various theatre entrances. The vertical section of the sculpture rises 35', carrying a collage design up to the building’s second and third floors. This vertical section is placed adjacent to the open staircase, rising three stories.
Dedication (with the Kansas City Symphony and host Bill Cosby)
was held October 1990.
