Explore Some of Michigan’s Best Sculptors in New Exhibit in Saginaw

 The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum invites you to celebrate some of Michigan’s best sculptors and congratulate the winning artists at the Opening Event for the “2021 Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition” Saturday, July 10, from 1 – 3 pm.

Stephanie James, Curator and Collection Educator for the Mott-Warsh Collection in Flint, MI, juried the exhibition and selected the merit award winners from 211 artworks submitted by 87 artists from the state of Michigan and Northern Indiana. “We are so grateful to Juror Stephanie James for her time, dedication, and expertise in narrowing down the number of artworks to be included from 211 to the select 43 works in the final exhibition — a truly difficult task given the outstanding submissions we received this year,” states Director, Megan McAdow.

The exhibition will be on display from Saturday, July 10 through Saturday, October 2.

In 2008 the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University held its first “Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition.”  Although there are many venues that host juried exhibitions, this one is unique because it is entirely devoted to three-dimensional artworks. and was initiated to support artists working in sculpture within 200 miles of Saginaw, Michigan.

The exhibition, which over the years has displayed the work of some of Michigan and Northern Indiana’s finest sculptors, has provided the Great Lakes Bay Region with the quality artwork usually seen in large metropolitan areas. Sculptures are representational, abstract and non-representational created in a wide variety of media and styles. The artists themselves represent a range of unique careers and backgrounds. Overall, the exhibition boasts a unique variety of sculptural forms.

“The exhibition was to be held last year, but due to the pandemic, we postponed it to this year. It’s important that the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum support living artists.” states Director, Megan McAdow. “We are excited to hold the exhibition again in both in-person and online formats with a complimentary Virtual Exhibition and additional programming for all ages. The online exhibition format allows the Museum to host artwork, recorded artist statements, educational programs, and information indefinitely for the public to enjoy.”

The exhibition juror, Stephanie James, is a curator of modern and contemporary art with a focus on art of the African Diaspora. She holds an MA in art history from Wayne State University and a BFA in drawing, along with teaching certification, from Eastern Michigan University. She is the Curator and Collection Educator for the Mott-Warsh Collection—one of the largest privately owned collections of African American art in the United States. Prior to her work with the Mott-Warsh Collection, she worked at the Detroit Institute of Arts for nearly 16 years, serving as assistant curator of the General Motors Center for African American Art (2002-2009) and in various appointments in the museum’s education department (1993-2002). Additionally, she has contracted with Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture as a member of their “Save Our African American Treasures” team of curators and conservators. Ms. James has organized numerous exhibitions, most recently “The Essential Self: Meditations on the Politics of Identity” at the Detroit Artists Market (2015). She is a frequent participant in educational programming on the arts and has authored several essays on contemporary American artists.

“What a pleasure it was to serve as juror for the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum’s ‘2021 Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition’ and see the work being produced by some of our region’s most talented artists,” states juror, Stephanie James. “It was difficult to narrow down my selections for this show. I commend all the artists, first for the act of creating a work of art, and secondly for sharing it with the community at large. I applaud the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum for providing a forum for this exchange to take place.”

Additional educational and public programming will be announced in the coming weeks and include virtual studio visits and artist talks with winning sculptors. Make and Take Saturdays will return at the end of July.