PAC unveils new sculpture to commemorate Renaissance Centre’s Tenth Anniversary

On Saturday, Nov. 18, the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St., celebrated its first decade with a 10^th Anniversary Gala featuring Marcus Anderson. As part of the evening’s festivities, the Wake Forest Public Art Commission (PAC) unveiled a sculpture (see attachment) commemorating the venue’s historic milestone.

Created by WallerFoushee Studios (Hillsborough, NC) in collaboration with Cricket Forge (Durham, NC), the sculpture “Bravo!” consists of six over-sized painted steel flowers arranged as a bouquet rising stately and alluringly from the ground.

According to the artists, “The word ‘bravo’ itself is a powerful complementary expression of admiration and congratulations. In the performing and visual arts, flowers often accompany this affirmation. The sculpture serves as a symbol of celebration and gratitude for the efforts sustaining the programming and growth of the Renaissance Centre.”

In the design phase for the piece, the artists “considered the floral motif and color palette apparent in the 10-year anniversary celebration logo, the multi-faceted and inspiring mission of the organization, as well as the personal experience of discovering the performing and visual arts at a young age through community theater.”

In May, the PAC issued a “Call for Artists” for a permanent public art installation inside the Renaissance Centre lobby. The theme of the piece was open to the artist’s discretion, but artists were encouraged to use the Renaissance Centre's 10-year anniversary logo as inspiration and incorporate its color palette.

Two months later, Ting Internet awarded $7,000 to the PAC to be used on the sculpture.

Bravo! was selected and approved by a committee comprised of members of the Wake Forest PAC and Renaissance Centre staff. The sculpture will remain on permanent display in the Renaissance Centre lobby. For their efforts, the artists received $7,000.

Visitors to the Renaissance Centre are encouraged to take pictures in front of the sculpture and post them on social media with the hashtags #TownofWakeForest #WakeForestRenCen #WFrencen10years #WakeForestNC. For more information, email Renaissance Centre Specialist Debra Horton at dhorton@wakeforestnc.gov.