New art sought for city's exhibit Sterling Heights, Yazzy's at www.williamverdult.com

Some are studied by schoolchildren and art students; others appear in the background of wedding and engagement photos.

A half-dozen sculptures sprinkled throughout the Sterling Heights City Center grounds for the past two years will be replaced with up to six new pieces next year when the fifth SterlingScapes outdoor public art exhibition begins.

Sculptors are being sought for the juried show, which features the work of professional Michigan artists. They receive $1,250 and transportation costs for the pieces they loan for the biennial show.  Artists can submit a new sculpture or a work already in their collection.

Organizers hope to draw 50 applicants for the next exhibition, which has grown in interest fourfold since its inception nearly 10 years ago.

"I believe that culture and art is very important to quality of life. It's the root of a community. We want to expand the quality of life in Sterling Heights," said Sharon Arend, chairwoman of the Sterling Heights Cultural Commission, which sponsors the event.

City Manager Mark Vanderpool said it also is nice for communities to recognize art in a public way.

Three of the city's 10 public art pieces -- "Burst," "Centipede" and "Xs and O" -- were displayed in prior SterlingScapes exhibitions at the City Center at Utica and Dodge Park.

The abstract pieces are made of different materials.

"Burst" is welded aluminum, "Centipede" is treated timber and "Xs and O" is painted steel.

Those three works have been some of the favorite SterlingScapes sculptures, said Steve Guitar, the city's community relations director.

"Whether you appreciate all the types of art out there is a personal preference, but it certainly makes you think when you look at them," he said of the sculptures.

Arend said the pieces for SterlingScapes V probably would be selected in February and installed in June.

In the past, exhibition costs were paid through art vendor fees from Sterlingfest Art & Jazz Fair, as well as grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Arend said the city's cultural commission will apply for a state grant -- which in the past has ranged from $1,800 to $4,000 -- but won't know if it will receive one until after the works have been selected.

Either way, the show will go on, she said.

Arend said jurors look for sculptures that have lasting quality, are appropriate for a community setting, have weatherability and are aesthetically pleasing.