Sculpture Wine and Dine 2024: A Night of Celebrations
theNate's annual tradition
This year’s Annual Sculpture Wine and Dine at Governors State University’s (GovState) Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (theNate) celebrated the park’s three-pillared mission: art, conservation and education by recognizing renowned artists, and generous donors for their generous support.
An unseasonably warm night, made for an evening filled with beautiful artwork, joyous mingling, and a savory meal. The event included tours of the 100-acre sculpture park by golf cart, live music and a cocktail reception, followed by a farm-to-table dinner outdoors near the iconic “Illinois landscape, No. 5., lovingly nicknamed “French Fries.”
At the center of the celebration this year was Bernard Williams and the dedication of his latest masterpiece: Avian Station. The sculpture is a viewing deck, a permanent steel sculpture that shares the language and function of architecture. The sculpture parks’ latest permanent installation, it overlooks the Butterfly Ranch, and the vast prairie that is so much a part of the theNate.
“Avian Station is not merely a sculpture; it's a conversation between nature and human ingenuity, a meeting point for art and environment,” Dr. Green said in prepared remarks delivered by Jim Kvedaras, Chair of GovState's Board of Trustees. "theNate is more than a sculpture park; it's a testament to human creativity, a classroom without walls, and a bridge between our campus and the wider world.” 
In his welcome, Jeff Stevenson, Director and Curator of theNate quoted Lewis Manilow, “I believe passionately in art, believe that it is one of our brain’s organizing systems, believe that one of the evolutionary reasons that it has survived and thrived for tens of thousands of years is that it does raise our aspirations, and it helps us to imagine and achieve great goals.”
Stevenson added for emphasis, “Art has been with us since the dawn of humanity, helping us make sense of the world and of ourselves. This powerful belief is at the heart of the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park—a place where art, nature, and education come together to create an experience that transcends time, geography, and social divisions.” 
During the evening, the Service Award at theNate was given to Advisory Board member Gregg Lunceford. The award was established in 2022 in memory of, and to honor the late Al P. Sturges, founding Board Member, Volunteer Docent, and Ambassador for theNate.