Sweet Music: “Picasso’s Violin” is People’s Choice

An eccentric violin is the people’s choice. Salina Arts and Humanities has announced the 2017 People’s Choice in the Salina Sculpture Tour program as “Picasso’s Violin” by Jodies Bliss from Colorado.

The work will be placed in the Salina Innovation Center in Downtown Salina.

“Picasso’s Violin” is the seventh People’s Choice selected by the public and purchased by the City of Salina.

Picasso’s Violin evokes a feeling of playful dance, movement and the relationship between the musician, the music itself, and the dancer. A whimsical celebration of this creative force, this powerful piece presents not only a striking initial impression, but invites the viewer to come in close and explore the many hand forged details in the cross bars, as well as the intriguing and rare technique used to present the glass work.

​The main structure of this piece is cut from 1/4” mild steel plate. It was then “laced together by hand forged steel cross members with beautiful details of twists and patterns forged into them red hot.

Steel “cages” were created for the circular details in the pieces and into these cages glass was blown.

Previous People’s Choice Award winners include:

2011 – “Watch Dog” by Louise Peterson; On display in Oakdale Park Sculpture Garden

2012 – “Sweet Kisses” by Marianne Caroselli; On display in Oakdale Park Sculpture Garden

2013 – “Farmer” by Lawrence Starck; On display in Campbell Plaza, Downtown

2014 – “Next Up” by James Haire; To go on display at the Oakdale Park Tennis Courts

2015 – ““Daughters of Peace” by Benjamin Victor; on display inside the Salina City / County Building

2016 – “Slim” by Dale Lewis; on display at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center

Other than purchasing the People’s Choice winner, Sculpture Tour Salina is entirely privately funded. Multiple sculptures are temporarily displayed in the downtown area for a year. Each sculpture is for sale, with the City of Salina purchasing the People’s Choice winner for permanent display.

The current sculptures on the tour will soon be coming down, to make way for new ones. New Sculptures have been selected for 2018, and will unveiled in May.