Purple Whisper Bench
Steel, 3' x 10' x 5'Jim Gallucci, Greensboro, NC
Location: Grassy park area behind the Downtown Center
Jim Gallucci, a graduate of LeMoyne College and later Syracuse University with a BFA and MFA in Sculpture, has been a sculptor for over 26 years. He was an art instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He was an Exhibit Designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC. Presently, Galucci works full time designing and creating sculptures in his Greensboro studio assisted by a staff of four people. His commissions can be found in public, corporate, and residential spaces throughout the country and the world. For six years, his work was selected to participate in the Pier Walk Sculpture Show in Chicago, IL, the world's largest outdoor sculpture show with an estimated 8.2 million visitors. Galucci has been chosen for such international shows as the World Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia and the 7th Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition at the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, Hakone, Japan.
"My sculptures usually incorporate elements that invite viewer participation. This bench is a publicly placed object that invites interaction with the passer-by. The bench is a playful object that invites the public to sit and talk with a friend. Though it can function as a seat, there is an impracticality of form that lures people to explore it and try to discover what it's about. Art is a physical manifestation of an idea or event that calls forth an emotional response from the viewer. It speaks to us and evokes a chord deep within us. Good art challenges us, can make us feel righteous, moves us, soothes us and can bring us peace. A simple bench can be a work of art."