The following artists and sculptures were displayed at the Topsfield Town Library during the 2021-2022 iteration of the Temporary Outdoor Sculpture Program. Check out our in-library brochure promoting the exhibit.
Shawn Farrell
Piece: ‘Tre’ Contact: ShawnFarrell.com, sf.sudios@hotmail.com
Shawn Farrell, an artist and educator living in Hamilton, MA, received a BFA from Hartwick College where he specialized in glassblowing and bronze foundry. He honed his techniques on the West Coast working for artists from Alaska to Mexico. He has displayed his work in various galleries and down many private commissions. Farrell prefers to not limit himself to one medium, but finds himself continually drawn to working with glass and metal.
“When you are accustomed to seeing something in the same way day after day, you tend to forget the beauty that is held within. Within my work, I like to take observers to a place where they many have been before but have not seen in such a way. This allows viewers to experience new perspectives on their world and their place in it. It allows them to find the inherent beauty in all things.”
Jac Ouellette
Piece: ‘Full Bloom’ Contact: anviljac.com, anviljac@gmail.com
Jac Ouellette’s love for metal started as a young child in her great-great-grandfather’s forge in Northern Maine. Later in life, while working in the medical field, she attended a blacksmith intensive at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. She was then inspired to pursue formal studies in art and enrolled in the Maine College of Art. She graduated from MECA in 2002, earning her BFA with honors. Since then, her interests have evolved to include vibrant metal sculptures and colorful oil painted landscapes.
“As a metal sculptor, I strive to transform cold hard steel into soft flowing forms. My sculptures are often feminine with a strong expressive flow. I want the viewer to see and feel movement beyond the physicality of the piece. I want the pieces to evoke a sense of happiness and inner strength of these graceful forms.”
Jac’s work can be found in public sculpture gardens, public schools, libraries, healthcare facilities, corporate offices, private homes and colleges throughout New England.
James Meyer
Piece: ‘Piston’ Contact: jmeyer7@sva.edu
James Meyer was born of Mexican heritage and adopted in Lynwood California in 1962. By the time his family moved to the East Coast in 1967, he was already drawing and painting. In the early 80s, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and became the studio assistant to Jasper Johns in 1985. James has exhibited his own work in New York City since the early 80s.
He has lived and worked in Connecticut since the mid 90s with his wife and two children. With his wife and other artists in the area, he developed the art garage, an after-school open art studio where students can work on long-term projects under the supervision of local working artists.
