New Sculpture Garden Exhibit to Open in Carlsbad

CARLSBAD, CA — The city of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office presents In Our Own Backyard: John Dupree and Clyde Wickham in the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden, located at 2955 Elmwood St., immediately north of the city’s Georgina Cole Library, beginning Aug. 29. The Sculpture Garden is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.

An opening reception for the artists will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6. The reception is open to the public and is made possible by the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts.

North County sculptors John Dupree and Clyde Wickham have an affinity for metal, steel and local fauna.

Dupree is particularly drawn to steel as a material, and his work explores industrial resources and the building techniques of welded steel. This exhibition showcases three of his matte finished steel sculptures, and the patina of their rust-colored natural finish reference the earth’s flora and fauna, as well as architecture and man-made structures.

Wickham focuses on using recycled and natural materials, sometimes incorporating abalone, driftwood, rocks and other natural and found objects into his pieces. Gates, in particular, appeal to Wickham because of the negative space they allow while serving a functional element.

The Carlsbad Sculpture Garden is operated by the city of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office and provides community members with the opportunity to enjoy art designed especially for outdoor settings. The Sculpture Garden has exhibited works by acclaimed national and international artists such as Italo Scanga and Kevin Capps, and by prominent local artists, such as Fritzie Urquhart and Jeffrey Laudenslager. Exhibitions are rotated every six to 12 months.

For more information, call 760-434-2920, or visit Carlsbadca.gov/arts.

— News release from the city of Carlsbad