Haddonfield is dipping its hand further into the artistic scene after a ceremony on June 8 presented a deformed naked woman sculpture, it is the beginning of Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust’s endeavor to establish the borough as the sculpture capital of South Jersey.
The borough has added public art to Mechanic Street by displaying 16 ceramic tiles along the brick wall of the parking lot, which leads to the Mechanic Street Sculpture Garden.
According to HOST chair Stuart Harting, the non-profit organization’s goal is not only to turn Haddonfield into the first town in the area to host multiple artistic works, but to “transform this walkable, attractive and historically significant borough into a significant center for juried outdoor sculpture in the great tradition of public art.”
For one year, the garden will be home to HOST’s first placement statue, “Uno” by Miguel Antonio Horn — a sculpture graduate from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It took a few years for Horn to complete the sculpture.
“Originally I had a sketch of it that turned into a bigger drawing. That turned into a small model. In the end, I think I built the entire piece and the casting in about a year,” Horn said.
“Uno” is the first of a four-part series that was inspired by a series of ornamental plaques. Horn said he has yet to begin the last sculpture.
According to Horn, the statue was displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City, Mexico, before coming back to the states. It was also displayed at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art in Texas.
“It was awesome when Stewart told me HOST wanted to display this piece. I was really excited. I actually just had it brought up from Mexico,” where it was for two years, Horn said.
After a year, another ceremony will be held honoring another sculptor’s work.
HOST’s selection advisory committee selected “Uno” for display and will decide on future sculptures. The committee includes Robert Roesch, chair of the Department of Sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; artist and sculptor Beth Wagner; HMHS art teacher Allie Westerside; and Harting, who is also a member of the borough’s Planning Board.
Mayor Jeff Kasko said the HOST initiative underwent discussion before the newly elected commissioners took office. The hopes were, and will continue to be, to draw attention to Kings Highway, Mechanic and Tanner streets, and Kings Court.
“I think that is a great thing for our downtown. It’s a great thing for our town in general,” Kasko said.
Adding to the artistic atmosphere, 16 students were selected from Westerside’s ceramic arts class to display their work along Mechanic Street. Westerside said adding a piece of professional art to the work of local students draws attention to Haddonfield, art history and community involvement. Resident Sharon Hoobler’s daughter, Meredith, was one of the students selected to display her ceramic tile, and was at the ceremony admiring Horn’s work as well as her daughter’s displayed tile.
“I think Haddonfield is such a destination town. I think more activities, culture and visual things around town would really enrich the culture of Haddonfield,” she said, adding she is pleased to see the commissioners supporting the high school students, encouraging them to be involved in the community and showcase their artwork.
The sculpture is displayed at the intersection of Haddon Avenue and Mechanic and Clement streets
