35th Rosen Sculpture Walk with the Juror

Rosen Sculpture Finalists (clockwise from top left): Joan Benefiel, Wayne Vaughn, Matt Amante, Rudy Rudisill,  Charles Pilkey, Glenn Zwegardt, Gretchen Lotz, David Boyajian, Hanna Jubran and Tom Scicluna.

A legacy of artistic excellence

The Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is a national juried competition presented annually by An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Since its establishment by Martin and Doris Rosen in 1987, the Rosen Competition continues a tradition of showcasing contemporary American sculpture in outdoor settings across the beautiful campus of Appalachian State University.

Celebrating its milestone 35th anniversary in the summer of 2021, the competition has become firmly established as a cultural treasure and a significant point of pride for Appalachian State University and our entire region. The competition has garnered national praise for the free access to the “best of the best” in contemporary sculpture it offers for countless residents and visitors across North Carolina and beyond.

The Rosen Family proudly continues the legacy of Martin and Doris by generously supporting this important program dedicated to sharing the power and joy of public art, creating a fascinating glimpse into the world of contemporary sculpture, and building new audiences for the visual arts.

Arts lovers gather for the 33rd Rosen Sculpture Walk with juror Bill Brown as he presents the winning sculpture: A Memorial by Bob Doster.

Celebrate with us this summer!

This year, nine sculptures have been selected, with an additional work of sculpture installed at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM). Cash prizes are awarded to three artists whose work is chosen by the juror.

To celebrate the competition’s 35th anniversary, join juror Rachel Stevens on an educational outdoor tour of the sculpture finalists. The tour concludes with an outdoor lunchtime reception adjacent to the Schaefer Center, and will feature an awards presentation, a tribute to the Rosen family, a reflection on the 35th anniversary and a “look back” at some of the competition’s most memorable moments!

The Rosen Sculpture Walk will take place rain or shine. In the event of heavy rain, a presentation by the juror, including images of the sculptures, will be held indoors at the Schaefer Center.

This program is made possible by the generous support the Martin & Doris Rosen Giving Fund/Debbie Rosen Davidson and David Rosen and the Charles &; Nancy Rosenblatt Foundation.

For more information about the sculptures and sculptors in this year’s competition, visit the Rosen Sculpture Competition Exhibition website.

LOCATION: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. (participants will gather outdoors, at the reception tent adjacent to the center).

DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 10 from 10 am – 12pm.

COST/RESERVATIONS: Event is FREE; however reservations are strongly suggested.

ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT: Appalachian is committed to providing an inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities. If accommodations are needed in order to fully participate on the basis of a disability contact the Office of Disability Resources (828.262.3056). It is recommended that accommodation requests be made two weeks prior to the event.

About the Juror


 

Anna Deveare Smith

A native of the Northeast (Connecticut, Maryland and New York), Rachel Stevens received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and her MFA from Syracuse University. She attended The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture while still an undergrad at MICA. Rachel’s passion for art serves as a flying carpet of sorts, inspiring travels and research to many countries around the world, including Fulbright Research Scholarships to Patan, Nepal (2006) and Lviv, Ukraine (2018).  In Nepal, her collaboration with Buddhist icon makers culminated in installations that conceptually and aesthetically blended elements of East and West.  When in Ukraine, Rachel collaborated with geographers, historians, and other artists to produce works that honored the Jewish community that populated the region prior to the Holocaust.  These pieces manifested as a map of former Jewish sites in Lviv, a walking tour demarcating the journey of Holocaust survivors who survived in the sewers of Lviv and a haunting installation comprised of illuminated glass skeleton keys, cast from an iron original.  Rachel has received numerous grants and awards, including a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and has exhibited her work internationally.  Rachel served as Area Head of Sculpture at New Mexico State University for 25 years and is now Emeritus Professor.  She divides her life between Las Cruces and Missoula, Montana.

A Special Thanks to the Rosen Family


 

Anna Deveare Smith
Anna Deveare Smith

Martin & Doris Rosen

Vision, generosity, and a pursuit of excellence are some of the many qualities that characterized the lives of Martin and Doris Rosen. From their years devoted to building a successful business, to their lives after retirement, revolving around family, philanthropy, and a commitment to the arts, this exceptional couple left an indelible mark on the communities in which they lived and worked.

Thanks to the continuing generosity of the Rosen Family, Martin and Doris’s legacy of support for quality visual arts programming has been continued by their children, and enables this beloved exhibition program to continue to develop and flourish. In July 1997, the Rosens donated Hephaestus, a large commissioned sculpture by Bruce White, to Appalachian State’s Permanent Collection, and it adorns the Rivers Street frontage area of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts to this day.

On the occasion of the Rosens’ 50th wedding anniversary in October 1999, their children established the Martin and Doris Rosen Scholarship to assist rising junior or senior art majors at Appalachian State. Tireless supporters of the arts, the Rosen Family has given so much of themselves over the years to ensure that the arts remain a strong foundation of campus and community life in the High Country. We wish to extend to them our deepest appreciation.