|  The
Sidney/Shelby Public Art Foundation, through a panel of jurors,
selected Ohio artist George Danhires to develop four public  sculptures
to be installed on the tree lawns around the Shelby County Court
Square in downtown Sidney, Ohio. His sculptures have been commissioned
by numerous public and private institutions and are on display
in four states.
These engaging works of art symbolize
and pay tribute to the vitality of the people of Shelby County,
highlighting four  facets
of community life: agriculture, industry, education and government/civic
endeavor. The themes represent the inherent strengths found in
our communities, from past accomplishments to what will inevitably
shape our future .
Each monument is cast in bronze and rests
on a buff and gray limestone pedestal that matches the stone work
and architectural style at the entrance to the Shelby County Court
House. The monuments are eight feet in height and are designed
in cylindrical fashion to provide a visual experience from
all directions of the numerous traditions within each selected
theme.
 Education
This monument emphasizes the
basics such as reading, writing, numeration and in deference
to contemporary developments, the computer. The importance
of the teacher in the educational process is defined
with a teacher advising a student in his reading. In
the next section of the relief, a student stretches
to write the word 'citizenship' on the black board,
suggesting the role of education in developing civic
responsibility.
Farther on a group of students operate
a computer under the direction of a teacher. At the
bottom of the relief and extending onto the pedestal,
a young reader is fully immersed in a children's reading
book. The use of letters and numbers throughout the
relief is meant to symbolize their importance as basic
concepts in education. |
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| Industry
Due to the diversity of
industry and manufacturing in Shelby County, the focus
of this monument is on workers and process. The relief
includes male and female, noting the importance women
played in the war effort.
There is a welder, a grinder,
a machinist and tow foundry workers. The figure of the
welder could be associated with the fabricating industry,
factory maintenance, and construction. The female machinist
represents the historic gender change in the work force
that developed during World War II.
Next to the machinist a
worker uses a die grinder to shape a piece of metal. The
fourth figure represents a contemporary maintenance worker
using a hand held computer. The last section of the relief
contains two foundry workers pouring iron, bronze or aluminum
into ingots. |
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|  Agriculture
This monument incorporates
historic and contemporary images with emphasis on family
farming and local crops. Traditional farming is depicted
with the sower spreading wheat seeds from a wicker basket.
Next to the sower several corn plants indicate the importance
of this crop to the area.
In the adjacent section
two farm workers bail and load hay under a harvest sun.
the next image is a contemporary farmer operating a combine.
Farther on, a youth in a 4-H t-shirt holds a family pet,
a barn cat. Between the girl and the sower are wheat plants,
a farm house and a silo. |
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| Government
Volunteerism, family, government
and civil service are depicted in this monument. The firefighter
seems to be an excellent symbol for both civil service
and volunteerism, since many of our Shelby County communities
have volunteer forces for fire and emergency. The firefighter
in the sculpture is in a ready position rather than an
emergency action hoping to suggest vigilance and reliability.
Next to the firefighter
a group of figures represent voter registration and the
electoral process. In the next section of the relief,
indicating the importance of family, a young father gives
his daughter a ride on his shoulders. The adjacent section
represents volunteerism and community involvement with
a softball coach helping a player develop a batter's stance.
Between the ball players
and the firefighter is a projected relief of a map of
the state of Ohio, and below this is a drawing of Shelby
County from the 1820's. |
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