By Ken Valenti

The Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC) Committee, the steward of a collection of 2,000 works of art, is starting off its year with dedications of two sculptures, including one on Monday.

Operating on a fiscal year, the committee sets up learning galleries – themed collections – in the school, provides artworks for Westport Town Hall, the Westport Center for Senior Activities and for police and fire departments among other spaces.

Image WestPAC

Circle of Peace

A dedication ceremony at 5 p.m. Monday, with singing, will celebrate the sculpture Circle of Peace, which recently returned to Westport. Created by artist Gary Lee Price, the bronze sculpture depicts three children dancing in a circle. It was originally placed in front of the international organization Save the Children, which took the artwork out of town when it moved from Westport to Fairfield in 2014.

The sculpture returned to town earlier this year and stands at the entrance to the Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road, by the library café.  

The Couple

Photo Ken Valenti
Photo Ken Valenti

On Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m., a formal dedication will be held for The Couple, a 12-foot-high aluminum work in the figures of a man and a woman at Riverside Park, 427 Riverside Ave. Sculptor William King created the work in the 1990s for two residents of Dogwood Lane. Before moving to Riverside Park, The Couple stood for a decade at Earthplace.

The artworks provided by WestPAC are a mix of those in public spaces, such as Town Hall, in the schools where they can be seen by students, staff and visitors, and those that public administrators request for their offices. They have a variety to choose from. Co-chair Tatyana Hixon mentioned Saugatuck Elementary School where one administrator requests modern abstract art next to a colleague who prefers more pastoral works. 

“It’s a rich environment for all of our townspeople to work in,” Co-chair Anne Boberski said at a meeting at the Westport Library on Wednesday, adding, “It’s both educational and inspirational and a part of our town’s history.”

The committee also welcomed two new members – Leah Bottner and Madalyn Peritz.