Marble Falls ready for second year of ‘Sculpture on Main’ exhibition

The reception is Saturday, Oct. 25, from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. beneath a tent in the public parking lot between City Hall at 800 Third St. and the Uptown Marble Theater, 218 Main St. 

Also on Saturday, Marble Falls celebrates “Public Arts Day” with activities planned at the JSpace Gallery, 206 Main St. and the Riverbend Gallery, 710 First St. 

In addition, the St. John’s Catholic Church Teen Folklorico Dance Troupe will perform downtown at noon, and the Marble Falls High School Mime Troupe will perform skits throughout the day. The Harmony School of Creative Arts dancers and the Hill Country Community Theatre will also participate in Public Arts Day. 

“We like to bring visitors here who are interested in the arts, and we’re glad we can help downtown merchants in the process,” said Dan Pogue, founder of the Sculpture on Main program and co-owner (with his wife Marti) of the Pogue Sculpture Gallery and Foundry in Marble Falls. 

Sculptors from across Texas will participate in the program this year, as well as artists from Florida, New York, Ohio and Puerto Rico. Local sculptors include Pogue, the Rev. Jairo Lopez of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Marble Falls, J.C. Matlock from Marble Falls, Marla Ripperda of Burnet  and Willy Gunther of Spicewood.  

Each sculpture in the program was accepted by the Alliance based on originality, quality, safety, durability and suitability for an outdoor public exhibit, planners said. Artists agreed to loan their sculpture to the city for one year, according to Alliance organizers. 

Proceeds from the sale of any sculpture will be divided between the artist and the Alliance, with 75 percent set aside for the artist, and the remaining 25 percent for the Alliance to help cover operating costs of the program, organizers said. 

The program began last October as an exhibition of sculptures at several noticeable points in Marble Falls with the hope of turning the city into an attractive art destination, organizers said. 

“My original thought was (the program) would provide artists with a place to show their larger-scale work and outdoor pieces of art,” Pogue said. 

Out of 36 sculptures from last year’s program, two pieces have been sold, organizers said. 

Sculpture on Main is a nonprofit organization that offers tax-deductible sponsorships. For more, call (830) 693-9544.