Outdoor Sculptures in Belleville
The Belleville and Van Buren DDAs are pleased to bring outdoor sculptures to our community, showcasing our commitment to invention and cooperation. This year's exhibit enhances our streetscape and parks, engages residents and visitors and highlights local businesses. With the artists and Midwest Sculpture Initiative we are celebrating this special place where we live, work and play.
Use this interactive map to locate each statue.
Do you like what you see? These sculptures are for sale, and a portion of the proceeds stays in the local community. Contact Midwest Sculpture Initiative at 517-486-4591.
Take a stroll through downtown and enjoy the sculptures for yourself!
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Van Buren Township Hall
Title: Purple Whisper Bench
Artist: Jim Gallucci | Greensboro, NC
$8000
Jim Gallucci has been a sculptor for over 30 years. He works full time designing and fabricating sculptures in his Greensboro studio. His commissions can be found throughout the country and the world. Recently Jim’s sculptures utilize the element of doors and gateways, symbolizing the paradox that a gate may be opened or closed, a way of passage or obstruction, a means of confinement or release. With each project, Jim brings a unique sense of self-expression while captivating the viewer.
"Art is a physical manifestation of an idea or event that calls forth an emotional response from the viewer. Good art challenges us, can make us feel righteous, moves us, soothes us and can bring us peace." -
Van Buren DDA / Harris Park
Note: new location, 10151 Belleville RdTitle: Power Outage
Artist: D.W. Martin | Edinboro, PA
$9750
D.W. Martin has two sculptures in this year’s exhibit. With Power Outage his initial interest and departure point came from observations of electrical pylons and telephone poles that carry high voltage power lines across the land. He says, “In these most recent works I have continued to investigate movement in the forms pushing the inanimate into animate, perhaps anthropomorphism. I proceed by developing a surface that emits a visual noise using line, color and the physical mark”
While actively exhibiting and selling his work through the gallery system, he began his academic career at Ohio State University as a studio arts technician for the sculpture and glass programs. He later relocated to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where he has been teaching sculpture and 3D foundation for the past 18 years. Since 2005, David W. Martin as been affiliated with Flatlanders Gallery in Blissfield, Michigan. For the past 12 years, D.W. has exhibited his sculptures annually through the Midwest Sculpture Initiative. -
Belle Tire
Title: Mimic
Artist: D.W. Martin | Edinboro, PA
$8700
David W. Martin was born and raised in Oklahoma. After working as a commercial artist, Martin earned a BFA in printmaking from the University of Oklahoma. In 1987, he was accepted into the MFA Sculpture Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. David says, “It has been my desire to take a static structure that is common in our daily visual vocabulary and bring to it life, in hopes of changing our visual perception of an otherwise mundane object.” D.W. Martin’s surrealist sculptures offer a different, enchanting view of the world.
A resident of Edinboro Pennsylvania, Martin exhibits his outdoor sculptures in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Michigan, Indiana, and Tennessee. Martin teaches sculpture and 3D Foundations at Edinboro University. -
McDonald's and Taco Bell
Title: Sizzilin Sun
Artist: Richard Morgan | Wauseon Hills, OH
$3500
During his 35 year career Richard Morgan worked in the welding field. More recently he discovered a passion for metal art, bringing a whole new meaning and passion for working with metal. As he began to teach himself to create metal art, Richard wanted to create unique pieces of both functional and non-functional art. Each piece is individually designed, cut, shaped, welded by hand and Richard truly enjoys the challenge. His artworks are constructed partially with repurposes materials and are a benefit to the environment. -
Quirk Road Triangle
Title: Summerscape
Artist: Robert Georgic | Belleville, MI
$5000
Robert Georgic. Although he does not have formal art schooling or training, Robert is a semi-professional blacksmith. His main sculpture medium is forged metal, creating mostly organic shapes that focus on natural scenes and landscapes, flowers, small animals. His studio is at his home in the Belleville MI area. Georgic sells his art to private individuals, and he’s happy to have his larger-than-life flower sculpture on exhibit with the Belleville/Van Buren outdoor sculpture exhibit. -
Belleville Gateway Sign
Title: Celestial Navigator
Artist: Ray Katz | Pontiac, Michigan
$15,000
Ray Katz was born and raised in Detroit. After graduating Mumford High School, he served four years in the US Air Force, where he became interested in art. He received a Masters of Fine Arts in sculpture and drawing from Wayne State University.
Ray’s sculptures allude to an evolutionary process commonly shared in the human experience – the flux of life and transformative concepts such as evolution, metamorphosis and transcendence. Ray has exhibited his work publicly and privately throughout the United States, France and Japan. -
Horizon Park
Title: Cat Tails
Artist: Pamela Reithmeier | Monclova, Ohio
$7000
Pam Reithmeier has a Masters in Special Education, she retired after teaching for 34 years. Pamela began sculpting in 2002, showing her works in galleries, juried shows, private collections and commissioned pieces throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Florida.
Pamela is drawn to making sculptures inspired by nature and uses both salvaged and new materials in her artwork. She is currently president of the Toledo Area Sculptures Guild and teaches an Art Welding class. -
Chase Bank
Title: American Eagle
Artist: James Havens | Woodville, OH
$8000
James Havens intends that his sculptures contain enough information that the viewer is not confused or mystified by the artists intent. Havens uses stainless steel to create his sculptures and has developed a specific fluid style to his work that appears to push the limits of the material.
James Havens is a retired ironworker. He wishes to be considered a good journeyman ironworker who demonstrates a high degree of craftsmanship. Havens is Owner/ Operator of The Havens Studio and Rose Foundry and Instructor of welding arts at Owens Community College. He is a member of International Association of Bridge, Structural, & Ornamental Ironworkers. -
4th Street Square
Title: Tide Pool with Anemone
Artist: Judith Greavu | Bluffton, Ohio
$8000
Judith Greavu has sculptures on exhibit throughout Ohio, in numerous communities in Florida and in Michigan including Gallup Park in Ann Arbor, the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson, and at Art Prize in Grand Rapids. She is a retired Associate Professor of Art Public from Ohio Northern University Dept. of Art. She also studied and worked comparing urban and rural culture in Zimbabwe and Malawi, Africa, was part of a faculty exchange with University of Nairobi, Kenya; and has done an independent study of the art of Ghana.
Her sculptures are the result of a keen interest in nature, especially in watery environments. The process is usually lost wax bronze casting and glass fusing. She hopes the sense of movement in the work invites viewers to take a longer look to discover the lively textural activity. -
Five Points
Title: Big Wheel Watcher
Artist: Jim Collins | Mountain, TN
$5000
Jim Collin’s sculpture style has been characterized by the use of silhouettes of people and animals constructed of stainless steel, aluminum and other metals. Presently he works as a professional artist, concentrating on private and public art sculpture commissions.
Jim is a former Professor of Art at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Collins received an A.B. degree from Marshall University in West Virginia, a M.P.H. degree from the University of Michigan, and a M.F.A. degree in sculpture from Ohio University. His work can be found in many collections in the United States and Ireland. -
PERMANENT INSTALLATION: Horizon Park
Title: Hands Held
Artist:Gregory Mendez | Ft. Wayne, IN
The BELLEVILLE AREA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS purchased the sculpture in 2018 for permanent display in Horizon Park. Hands Held High is made entirely from steel and created by sculptor Gregory Mendez of Fort Wayne, IN.
Gregory is a nationally recognized artist of metal sculpting. When Greg was a boxer, he and his family would spend time between matches visiting local museums and parks. He became fascinated by the outdoor sculptures and the beauty they add to our surroundings. He graduated from the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, Indiana with a BFA.
The sculptures are on loan from the Midwest Sculpture Initiative, and are presented in Belleville by generous community partners. Thank You to the PUBLIC ART PARTNERS:
| Belleville DDA | |
| Van Buren DDA | |
| Belleville Area Council for the Arts | |
| Belleville Tax and Accounting | |
| Central Business Community/CBC | |
| Sumpter Collision | |
| Main Street Computers |