Karl Unnasch’s Public Art Piece Honored
“Stained Glass Log Cabin” Named Among Best 50 for 2018
“Slumgullion (The Venerate Outpost” was created as a walk-through public art installation. The work is house inside the shell of a reclaimed 19th century log cabin.
Karl Unnasch’s piece incorporates stained glass, art glass, and resin-bonded textiles. The windows and ceiling are filled with brightly colored elements.
“The American log cabin has stood as a symbol of rural gumption, nationalistic pride, abject poverty, political clout and colonial incursion. It is simple and honest in its design, but given enough time, becomes a collective reliquary of those who have known it intimately.”
Artist Karl Unnasch
Another element in “Slumgullion” is the faux fireplace. Created from books, the fireplace comes complete with a glass ‘fire.’
Slumgullion is on the groups of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The work was selected by Public Art experts for the Americans for the Arts honors, revealed at their annual convention in June.
“The best of public art can challenge, delight, educate, and illuminate. Most of all, public art creates a sense of civic vitality in the cities, towns, and communities we inhabit and visit. As these selections illustrate, public art has the power to enhance our lives on a scale that little else can. I congratulate the artists and commissioning groups for these community treasures, and I look forward to honoring more great works in the years to come.”
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.
Philbrook’s President and Director, Scott Stulen, commission the piece with the goal of providing visitors more opportunities to explore the outer grounds.
Slumgullion and the other projects selected for Year in Review can be viewed at http://www.americansforthearts.org/yir/2019
Artist Karl Unnasch focuses primarily on creating public and architectural art, typically incorporating backlit stained glass into sculptural installations. His work adorns educational facilities, banks, theaters, libraries, museum grounds, businesses and public gathering spaces across North America.
You can also find more about Karl Unnasch on Facebook
Photo credits to Nicole Huss
Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a world-class art museum in a historic villa among 25 acres of gardens. It strives to be an essential and exceptional participant in the cultural, educational,and economic life of a growing and diverse community, and remains dedicated to inspiring the broadest possible public engagement, access, and service.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, it has a record of more than 55years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.
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