Island Arts Council is thrilled to introduce a new public sculpture project that brings more colorful art across the island. The Pleasure Island Mosaic Totems Project is a public sculpture initiative that will install multiple hand-crafted mosaic totems throughout Pleasure Island.
These sculptures will reflect the spirit, values, and identity of our community, including:
- Ocean stewardship
- Environmental conservation
- Historical preservation
- Civic pride
- A supportive and connected community
The Pleasure Island Totems Project will consist of clusters of artist-made and community-made mosaic totems installed in highly visible public locations. This year’s project plans to install 6 sites. Totems will vary in size and height, with designs reflecting the character and history of each site.
The first site to be installed is at Kure Beach’s premier Ocean Front Park at 105 Atlantic Ave. In collaboration with Friends of Kure Beach, the Island Arts Council has select two colorful designs from local artists to be featured in the installation. A community-made totem will be a focal-point in this cluster of 3 mosaic totems.
Island Arts Council is holding workshops to build the community totem, which will be held at the Kure Beach Community Center this summer. People interested in participating in the workshop can get more information at: https://islandartscouncil.net/island-mosaic-totems
Friends of Kure Beach has been instrumental in bringing this project to Kure Beach. Cindy Maier, Chairperson, said, “We saw this as perfect project to bring more colorful art to the park and we look forward to seeing this public sculpture project expand across the island.”
Island Arts Council and Friends of Kure Beach worked closely with the Town of Kure Beach to bring this project to fruition. Many thanks to Allen Oliver, Mayor of Kure Beach, and Kure Beach Council for their input and support. The Town of Kure Beach is excited to be the first location on the island to showcase the mosaic totems.
The project received a $5000 grant from the annual Arts & Culture Grants Program, powered by the New Hanover Community Endowment and managed by The Arts Council of Wilmington.
