Moses Lake Museum and Art Center names sculpture winner

'An Individual Space' takes juror's first place

MOSES LAKE — The winner of this year's Sculpture Without Walls juried art prize has the potential to transform over the years.

Roger Ralston, a Spokane-area sculptor and participant in the outdoor sculpture exhibit in its first installation in 2005, selected the top four recipients of juried art prizes for the sculptures presently on display throughout downtown Moses Lake.

Ralston selected Michael Richardson's "An Individual Space," presently located in between Moses Lake City Hall and the Moses Lake Police Department, to receive the top award.

Other juried art prize winners were Harold Glucksberg's "Untitled," Guruhans Kroesen's "All Life Is Grass" and Julian Voss-Andrea's "Warrior."

Ralston said he considered the quality of imagery and the ideas expressed by a piece, as well as surface, detail work and scale when looking over the sculptures.

For Richardson's piece, Ralston looked at the possibility of transforming over a long period of time.

"It's an open piece, it's going to be living in the world, it has the possibility of actually interacting in and modifying the landscape where it gets placed," Ralston explained. "It's sitting in the grass, the grass is starting to grow up in between, it's going to fill up with soil inside, it's going to start growing things inside it. It's going to become a really interesting piece over a long period of time. That's something I found fascinating."

Moses Lake Museum and Art Center Manager Terry Mulkey said he would notify the creators of the winning pieces to send their award check, but the People's Choice Award remains to be selected this summer. Entry form deadline is May 28.

"It would be nice if people get out there and start voting, because it's been a little light this year," Mulkey said.

The museum and art center begun receiving potential new sculptures to be put up in September.

"The nice thing about it is we're going to have a downtown to concentrate on," Mulkey said. "As it is now, it's sort of spread out and people don't I think get the grasp of it being an exhibit."