“THE BALL AND THE RED STAIRCASE” erected at Fort Blount Park
Thursday, December 15, 2022
sponsored by A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure and Michell Githens State Farm Insurance
Fort Blount Park
Artist: Adam Walls, Tryon, NC
Weight: 800 lbs
Dimensions: 24"w X 128"h x 45"d
Sponsors: A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure and Michell Githens State Farm Insurance
Material: Painted and Stainless Steel
Artist Adam Walls said that the mirrored sphere at the top will allow any viewer to see themselves on top of the sculpture.
The third permanent sculpture in Fort Blount Park may serve as an inspiration to Bartow citizens.
Titled, “The Ball and the Red Staircase,” the art was erected on Thursday, December 15, 2022, on the southwest corner of Fort Blount.
Artist, Adam Walls was on hand for the installation.
“The Ball and the Red Staircase depicts the difficult task of taking on a challenge that I can’t even imagine taking the first step of, yet I am still able to visualize myself meeting this task,” Walls said. “This is represented by the staircase with an impossibly high first step and a mirrored sphere at the top that will allow any viewer to see themselves on top of this sculpture.”
A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure and Michell Githens State Farm Insurance sponsored the sculpture. The City of Bartow facilitated the installation.
“It’s a good feeling to be a part of something that will perhaps inspire people to strive to reach their goals,” said Rob Kincart, CEO of A-C-T. “Adam (Walls) is right, the first step is always the hardest.”
This is the second sculpture of Walls’ to find a home at Fort Blount Park. In April of 2021, the “Siegel & Shuster” piece, purchased by the Bartow Rotary Club, was dedicated (read article below). Another sculpture, titled, “Growing Seasons,” is on the northeast side of the park and was sponsored by the Crickette Club of Bartow.
“We are so fortunate to have two of Adam’s beautiful pieces find a home at Fort Blount Park,” Michell Githens noted. “His art has been exhibited in numerous sculpture parks and sculpture exhibitions across the country.”
About the Artist:
Sponsors of “The Ball and the Red Staircase” are A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure and Michell Githens State Farm Insurance. Left to right are Rob Kincart, A-C-T; Michell Githens, Artist Adam Walls and Bartow Mayor Steve Githens.
Adam Walls has taught at University of North Carolina since 2007. His previous teaching experience includes Limestone College , USC-Upstate, and an assistantship with Winthrop University. Before teaching at the college level, Adam has taught six years in the public school system, three years for art centers and other private institutions, and operated his own ceramics studio where he taught pottery and won numerous awards for his ceramics as well as his woodworking and steel fabricated sculptures.
He received his MFA in Sculpture from Winthrop University in 2005 and his BA in Art Education from Limestone College in 1996. He is a member of CAA and Tri-State Sculptors. Adam’s current work is predominantly monumentally scaled steel fabricated forms which often reflect his interest in escapist fantasy.
As an educator with over a decade of teaching experience, Adam’s dedication to his students is embodied in his pedagogy. He covers a variety of subjects that include steel fabrication, plaster casting and carving, wood working, the creation of volumetric forms using found objects, stone carving, and the creation of functional art and sculptural prosthetics. His teaching philosophy promotes students to find their own voice and to make use of a variety of materials to do so.
A dedication for “The Ball and the Red Staircase,” is set for January 26, 2023.
____________________________________________________________________________________
ADAM WALLS “SIEGEL & SHUSTER” SCULPTURE AT FORT BLOUNT PARK
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
1:15 p.m.
Fort Blount Park
Artist: Adam Walls, Hope Mills, NC
Weight: 250 lbs
Dimensions: 11' x 3' x 3'
Anchoring: Anchoring points built into the base of this sculpture
Material: Painted Steel
Anyone interested in the recent television show “Superman and Lois,” and saw the new pilot, possibly saw a hidden “Easter Egg*” that gives a nod to the creators of the Superman comics.
The homage occurs at the 11:19 – 11:41 mark of the pilot. Clark has just come home after a long day of reporting and saving the world. After a brief and awkward interaction with one of his sons, he gets on the phone with his foster mother. As he walks into the kitchen, a blackboard sign is visible on the right side of the screen. At the bottom, the blackboard reads “Call Siegel & Shuster.”
We have our very own “Easter Egg” smack in the middle of Bartow that pays homage to the Superman creators. Aptly named, “Siegel & Shuster,” the beautiful 11-foot sculpture made by North Carolina artist Adam Walls, has symbolic references to the creators and the “Man of Steel” himself, and is located at Fort Blount Park. Can you find one?
Thanks to Bartow’s Rotary Club for purchasing this beautiful sculpture. It is so very appropriate for Bartow, home of one of the biggest outdoor SyFy conventions in the Southeastern United States. Another reason we are #BartowProud!
*(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Easter egg is a term used to describe a message, image, or feature hidden in a video game, film, or other medium.)
