Steve Shields, In Retrospect, provides residents and
visitors with the opportunity to see the first major exhibition of this local
metal sculptor's work. Shields' work is of national significance not only
because of its quality, but also because of his technique for welding copper or
steel over a "skeleton" to create a level of detail seldom seen in
metal sculpture.
Steve Shields was a Hopkinsville, KY resident for almost
thirty years. His works, large and small, are scattered in homes, parks,
and churches throughout the United States and Canada. His early pieces are
mostly small figures and vignettes from nature and life around him, often made
from coat hangers and other scrap metal. As his reputation and skill
progressed, Shields began to receive commissions for large, public pieces.
One of his best known pieces locally is Peacekeeper, the larger-than-life
soldier just off Ft. Campbell Boulevard at the Pennyrile Parkway in
Hopkinsville. The Returning Eagle at Fort Campbell's Gate 4 was one of
Shield's favorite pieces. The community lost a unique talent when Steve
Shields passed away in 1998 at the age of 51.
The Janice Mason Art Museum collected over 80 pieces
of Shields' sculpture for the exhibit. Most of these pieces are from
private collections and have not been generally available for public
viewing. In addition, is a bust of Bill Monroe, a larger than life-size
piece on loan from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN.
Steve Shields, In Retrospect opened May 26, 2001, and will
run through September 3, 2001.
Tour the
exhibit.
Click
Here
Exhibit
book information here.
