Project to commemorate historic Dublin town pump
To learn more about the Town Pump sculpture, Artist Michael Tizzano and fun facts about art, download the brochure
(Dublin, Ohio) – The City of Dublin and Dublin Arts Council announced today that Westerville, Ohio sculptor Michael Tizzano will begin a series of public sculpting events at the Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC), 5600 Post Road, in Dublin.
The artist has been commissioned by the City of Dublin to create a figurative bronze and stone sculpture to commemorate a town pump that stood near the center of the community in the early 1900s. The sculpture will eventually be installed on the plaza at the northwest corner of Bridge and High streets in Historic Dublin.
Tizzano’s proposed sculpture includes bronze, natural limestone and running water to encourage visitors to experience Dublin’s past in a personal way through the representation of children in period dress engaged in the daily ritual of collecting water. Dublin’s town pump was the outlet for water from the village’s first hand-dug well and soon became a natural landmark and gathering place for the community.
The sculpture will be constructed in its entirety at the DCRC in full public view during an approximate eight-month period. Tizzano encourages audience interaction while he works, inviting questions and explaining his process as the artwork develops. The artist will share samples of renderings, materials, photos and videos of the wax-casting process.
Artist Schedule
- Mondays – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Wednesdays – Noon to 6 p.m.
- Fridays – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- First and Third Saturdays – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tizzano’s process begins with the creation of a one-quarter scale clay maquette using local children as models for the sculpture. From the maquette, life-sized figures will be created. When the artist is not present, the sculpture, tools and materials will be placed behind a glassed-in area for continued DCRC visitor viewing. The sculpture’s casting will take place at an Ohio foundry.
The project offers a host of unique educational opportunities for the community, which will be coordinated by Dublin Arts Council. The Dublin Historical Society also is a partner in the project and is collecting artifacts from the time period for display.
“The process offers a unique opportunity for the community to observe the creation of public art,” said Dublin City Council Member John Reiner, board representative to Dublin Arts Council. “The art, itself, represents a snapshot of Dublin’s history being recreated in the present, and preserved for the community to enjoy now and into the future.”
The town pump sculpture will be the latest addition to the Art in Public Places program, a collaboration between the City of Dublin and Dublin Arts Council. This public art collection includes such iconic sculptures as Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees) and Leatherlips. According to Dublin Arts Council Executive Director David S. Guion, the City’s collection of public art grows through various types of acquisition, including calls for entries, on-loan programs, major gifting and projects such as this one that are committee-directed or define a community initiative.
Tizzano estimates that the new sculpture will be installed in the fall of 2013.
Media Contacts:
Janet Cooper, Dublin Arts Council, cooper@dublinarts.org, 614.889.7444
Nancy Richison, City of Dublin, nrichison@dublin.oh.us, 614.579.2612
