Artist Mara Sfara
Kinetic Sculpture Titled
In the Gardens of Mount Olympus
Acquired by The Springfield Museums
to The Permanent Collection

Artist Opening and Reception:
Friday, June 21, 2019 | 6:00pm– 8:00pm

RSVP to Opening HERE

Artist, Mara Sfara’s kinetic sculpture In the Garden of Mount Olympus for the permanent collection in the historic Classical Cast Gallery of the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum (21 Edwards Street Springfield, MA. 01103) in Massachusetts. The museum will hold a reception for the artist on Friday, June 21, 2019. 

Mara Sfara’s contemporary art installation In the Gardens of Mount Olympus offers a participatory exploration of the Classical world through multi-sensory experiences: sound, motion, and light. Drawing from the mythology of ancient Greece, Sfara’s work animates the gallery of plaster casts, replicas of Classical and Renaissance sculptures. Sfara’s kinetic sculpture In the Gardens of Mount Olympus envisions the Greek gods as heroic and also wonderfully human—they are depicted whimsically as individuals with personality quirks. Influenced by Greek mythology and African Art, Sfara’s sculptural characters have a unique and appealing style that invites wonder and creativity.

Mara Sfara states “My approach is inclusive—to use mythology as a way to reform our view of the world, and through humor and irony to rethink how we relate to one another. I hope that people will see something of themselves in this piece identify with the Greek gods and goddesses with all their un-godlike imperfections. By making the sculpture move, it becomes quixotic, earthbound and almost organic. The objective is to make the storytelling relevant to our current, moving images of the world and to relate our world back to the art.”

Sfara states her sculptures are “like characters in an opera” and she invites the viewers to concoct their own stories to tie all the characters together. Sfara wants everyone to participate in the adventure of myth-making while watching as the gods move through the fantastical, theater space of Mount Olympus and its surrounding gardens and sea.

“Mara Sfara’s sculpture is mesmerizing and invites the viewer to use their imagination to tell a story,” said Kay Simpson, the President and CEO of the Springfield Museums. “I love to see In the Gardens of Mount Olympus juxtaposed with the plaster casts depicting similar gods in the Classical heroic style.”

Springfield Museums acquisition In the Gardens of Mount Olympus, by Mara Sfara, and the newly reinstalled Plaster Cast Gallery with new interpretations, opens Friday, June 21, 2019, at the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum.

About the Artist
Mara Sfara creates engaging, multi-sensory art for audiences of all ages. Experience Sfara’s contemporary art installation titled In the Gardens of Mount Olympus, which offers the visitor a participatory exploration of the Classical world through sound, motion, and light. Drawing from the mythology of ancient Greece, Sfara’s work animates the Plaster Cast Gallery, replicas of Classical and Renaissance sculptures. Discover the stories of great artists, glorious gods, and
legendary goddesses, and their continued relevance in the 21st century.

About the Classical Cast Gallery
Established in 1896, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum is the earliest of the five museums at the Springfield Museums and houses the eclectic collection George Walter Vincent Smith (1832-1923) and Belle Townsley Smith (1845-1928). In 1900, a collection of plaster casts was added to the museum’s holdings of American paintings, Chinese and Japanese decorative arts, and Islamic arts. Today, the Plaster Cast Gallery Collection is one of the largest extant
collections of casts displayed the United States and features replicas of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, as well as Italian Renaissance pieces.

HANDS-ON ART OPPORTUNITY WITH THE ARTIST: 
presents Painting Workshop: Energize Your Art with Mara Sfara

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, July 10, 11, 12 (three classes)

10 am- 4 pm

The Springfield Museums Museum School
$220, Members; $269, Nonmembers

For more information visit:
www.marafinearts.com
Follow at @MaraSfaraArt

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPZq42ex3jY&feature=youtu.be

For press information contact:
Jennifer Gross
Evolutionary Media Group
323-646-8412
Jennifer@emgpr.com