SAGINAW, MI – Oct. 16, 2018: Denver-based artist and educator Nicole Banowetz will install and exhibit a permanent inflatable sculpture at the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum – located at 315 W. Genesee Ave. in Saginaw. The sculpture unveiling will be held at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, November 9 and the public is invited to attend. After the unveiling, she will host a workshop for a class of 3rd grade students from Stone Elementary School in Saginaw.
“The University Art Gallery at Saginaw Valley State University is intended to be a cultural resource for the region. As such, it was only natural to reach out to the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum when the artist we chose for our gallery had experience collaborating with children, and was willing to do workshops in association with her exhibition. Nicole Banowetz will be able to provide something that’s missing in our region, and is an amazing way to start a collaborative relationship with the museum,” said Tisch Lewis, University Art Gallery Coordinator at SVSU. SVSU will host an exhibition of Banowetz’s works in the University Art Gallery from November 8 through December 14. The work in the exhibition will highlight microorganisms found within SVSU’s Wetlands Preserve. The Nicole Banowetz exhibition and related events are supported in part by the SVSU Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program and the Saginaw Community Foundation.
“Nicole Banowetz has such imagination. We are excited to give our guests an opportunity to view art that they might not otherwise be exposed to. It’s also wonderful to have a clear juxtaposition of artistic potential in our Art Mart and a fantastic realized sculpture by a professional artist. Our mission is to truly inspire kids and I know that many are going to be blown away by this new art feature,” explained Alisha Toyzan, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum.
Banowetz works professionally in sculpture, design, and education. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture. While Banowetz’s current practice involves constructing sewn inflatable sculptures into delicate forms that address vulnerability and struggle, she also participated in the Denver Children’s Museum residency program where she created large inflatable sculptures inspired by children’s drawings of microscopic creatures.
Guests are welcome to view the sculpture and attend the unveiling for no cost; the museum open its doors admission-free from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. for the event. The sculpture will remain in the galleries after the unveiling and can be viewed with regular admission.
