Mayor Purzycki proclaims Saturday, April 27, 2024, as International Sculpture Day in Wilmington.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz joined Cheryl Mack, owner of the Bridge Art Gallery, Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, Benet Burton of the Public Arts Steward Program, sculptor Rick Rothrock, and University of Delaware Poet-in-Residence Dr. Traci Currie at an event on Friday, April 26, to commemorate International Sculpture Day in Wilmington.

With artist Rick Rothrock’s own work, Rendezvous, serving as the backdrop in Freedom Plaza outside the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, Director Betz welcomed attendees to the first official celebration of International Sculpture Day in the City of Wilmington. “Sometimes we travel to other cities just to see the artwork,” said Director Betz. “And we have such a robust inventory of artwork right here in the City of Wilmington and that’s what we’re here to celebrate today.”

International Sculpture Day, which officially fell on Saturday, April 27, was created in 2015 by the International Sculpture Center (ISC), a member-supported, nonprofit arts organization based in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. It is a day set aside to celebrate the unique impact of this visual art form on the public. The City joined an international community dedicated to the appreciation of sculpture as Mayor Purzycki proclaimed Saturday, April 27, 2024, as International Sculpture Day in Wilmington.

In his Proclamation, the Mayor noted that appreciating sculpture “is easily done when surrounded by the wealth of beautiful sculptures that Wilmington and the surrounding area has to offer – from works honoring historic figures…to our somber war memorials, to abstract works along the Riverfront, to the unique treasure that is the Copeland Sculpture Garden at the Delaware Art Museum.”

Also at Friday’s event, Dr. Currie read an original poem entitled “I Dream a World” and Director Betz announced a new self-guided tour of Wilmington’s more than two dozen public sculptures. That tour can be accessed online at cityfestwilm.com/public-sculpture-map.

About the International Sculpture Center (ISC)
The International Sculpture Center (ISC) is a member-supported, nonprofit arts organization founded in 1960 to advance the creation and understanding of sculpture and its unique and vital contribution to society. The mission of the Hamilton, NJ-based ISC is to expand public understanding and appreciation of sculpture international, demonstrate the power of sculpture to educate and effect social change, engage artists and arts professionals in a dialogue to advance the art form, and promote a supportive environment for sculpture and sculptors.