GovState Sculpture Wine & Dine Set for September 14
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
The Annual Sculpture, Wine and Dine soiree on Saturday, September 14, at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University (GovState), is an opportunity to enjoy and support one of the country’s premier sculpture parks.
Beginning at 4 p.m., the GovState event will feature tours of the 100-acre sculpture park with golf carts, live music, a cocktail reception, and a farm-to-table outdoor dinner.
And attendees will witness the dedication of “Avian Station,” the newest installation at the park by Chicago artist Bernard Williams who will be present.
TheNate, as it’s called, is home to 30 sculptures and ranked third among the top 10 sculpture parks in the country by USA Today.
Its reputation in the Southland arts community has attracted a growing list of sponsors and supporters. The 2023 Sculpture, Wine & Dine event raised $50,000 through ticket sales, donations and support of lead sponsors, Sutton Ford and BMO; returning sponsors, Old National and Mesirow; and new sponsor, Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
“As visitors discover the magic of theNate, and that GovState is an arts destination, our support continues to grow,” said Jeff Stevenson, director and curator of the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park and Visual Arts Gallery. “Our community partners understand that we need support to remain a free public resource and carry out our mission of Art, Conservation (of the art and land), and Education.”
Such support signals the enduring relationships Stevenson has built with the art community and area sponsors, ensuring a bright future for theNate in the cultural landscape of the Chicago Southland community and at GovState.
Showcasing artists like Williams is at the heart of TheNate’s appeal. In “Avian Station” Williams makes reference to quilting patterns—specifically “Birds in Flight”—represented by the repeated triangle motif. The piece connects thematically to “Large Planar Hybrid” by Richard Hunt, and “Icarus” by Charles Ginnever, two pieces in the collection that make direct references to flight, freedom and our turbulent human history.
Formally established by the University’s Board of Trustees in 1978, the Sculpture Park was named for Nathan Manilow, a visionary developer who, along with Carrol Sweet and Philip Klutznick, formed American Community Builders at the conclusion of World War II.
Admission to the sculpture park is free, and today, theNate attracts an estimated 6,000 visitors to the GovState campus annually. The landscape-based sculptures were created by distinguished artists at the height of their creative powers. Visitors find a group of works by major late-20th Century American sculptors and Chicago-based artists.
“It’s my vision to build on our rich history and to continue to grow through collaboration and relationships,” said Stevenson.
For more information and/or tickets to the Eighth Annual Wine and Dine event visit: www.thenate.org