dis for upload

DISCOVER! | JULY 23, 2016
Nature | 19
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER
Nature
&
Art
At a Glance:
WHAT: Bill Lieb eARTh exhibit
WHERE: Dickinson County Nature
Center, 2279 170th St., Okoboji, IA
WHEN: On display now
COST: Free
CONTACT: 712-336-6352
ONLINE: www.dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com
Art exhibits:
The final eARTh exhibit area artist
of the year will be Barbara
Tagami. Her nature art will be
on display October-December,
with an artist reception 5-7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 6. She will hold a
kids origami class 9 a.m.-noon
Saturday, Oct. 15, and an adult
nature art class 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Bill Lieb has new exhibit at Dickinson County Nature Center
Metal work and nature.
Not two things that you
think would go together symbiotically,
but Spirit Lake artist Bill
Lieb has shown it can be done at his
new exhibit at the Dickinson County
Nature Center entitled, “Connecting
with Nature Through Sculpture.”
The new exhibit can be found in the
eARTh exhibit area at the nature center
and it explores the relationships
between “certain site-specific pieces
he has created and the environments
they reside in,” according to a statement
from the nature center.
“All of these, except one, are kinetic;
the wind activates them,” Lieb said. “I
love that part. I think it draws your attention
to it because it moves. When it
moves, you start to think about wind
and breezes and the nature of it.”
Kiley Roth, the community relations
coordinator for the nature center,
agrees that Lieb’s metal sculptures
walk hand-in-hand with nature.
“Lieb’s artwork fits in well with the
nature theme, specifically the sculptures
shown in this exhibit. Lieb chose
site-specific sculptures to display, and
all of them were designed around the
area that they were to live in. Most of
the sculptures are kinetic and move in
the wind, and that activation by nature
itself makes them even more connected
to the world around them,”
Roth said.
The exhibit details Lieb’s entire process
when he sets out to create a new
piece.
This former architect’s first step is
to do a walkthrough of the site and
analyze the site for potential problems
and pitfalls. Then he creates a
freehand sketch of the ideas he’s come
up with for the sculpture.
Then it gets a little bit more technical.
Those sketches are turned into
computer drawings. The plans are
then tested on cardboard models.
Once the test of the cardboard
models is complete and the computer
renderings tweaked and perfected, the
drawings are sent off to a steel fabricator.
The various sections that make
up the entire piece are cut with a laser
and then they are welded together
either by Lieb’s own two hands or
sometimes with the help of another
welder.
Some of Lieb’s models are on display
along with photos of the finished
products at the eARTh exhibit, but
there is another piece that you’ll have
to take a look at.
Lieb completed one of his newest
sculptures right at the nature center.
Bird Series No. 3 is one in his series of
five kinetic bird sculptures.
“We were excited to have Bill Lieb
display at the nature center to expand
our eARTh exhibit offerings. Since
the exhibit area’s inception we have
had mainly two-dimensional artwork,
and Lieb’s exhibit that includes
models of his sculptures as well as a
temporary outdoor sculpture, let us
expand into the three-dimensional
world,” Roth said. “The models and
bright colors in the display really
draw people in when they walk into
the nature center.”
For those interested in learning a bit
more about Lieb and his art during a
class he’s hosting from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Wednesday, July 27, at the nature center.
The class will walk to see eight of Lieb’s
sculptures and he will talk about
his work and how nature actually influenced
each of the pieces. Students
will be provided with wood materials
and will be able to create their own
sculpture models.
“I hope they see a connection between
nature and sculpture and how
nature can inform a design,” Lieb
said. “If you look at nature enough
it starts suggesting solutions to problems.”
The class will cost $15 per person
and has a maximum of 10 students.
Contact Lieb at 712-336-4410 or 712-
330-7295 to pre-register. The subject
matter will be tailored to adult students
or youth accompanied by an
adult. F
Okoboji | Iowa