AUSTIN, Texas—The City of Austin will honor University of Texas at Austin faculty member Margo Sawyer for her piece “Index for Contemplation,” in a reception at the Austin Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 23.
“Index,” one of two public arts projects commissioned for an expansion of the convention center, is composed of more than 400 sculptural components that come together to create a pattern of shape, form and color along the walls of the west lobby of the expansion.
The city’s Art in Public Places project selected Sawyer and College of Fine Arts alumnus Rolando Briseño from a group of 71 Texas artists who submitted proposals and qualifications.
Sawyer is a professor of sculpture in the Department of Art and Art History at the College of Fine Arts, and has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University. Briseño is a native of San Antonio who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. Both artists will be present at the reception.
“Artists who are selected to produce public works of art must navigate a complex multi-layered set of issues,” says Ken Hale, chairman of the Department of Art and Art History. “Public art is supposed to engage and eventually unite the community—a very lofty and worthwhile goal.”
The reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Jan 23 at the Austin Convention Center, Trinity and 3rd street entrance. Parking maps are available on the Austin Convention Center Web site.
For more information contact: Bruno Longarini, College of Fine Arts, 512-475-7021.