By Karen Clem Fritz
The unveiling of Casey Eskridge’s latest sculpture, The Birth
of Apollo, Sept. 9 at the gala opening of the $120 million Schermerhorn
Symphony Center in Nashville, Tenn. marked a pinnacle moment in the
young man’s remarkable career - launching him onto the world
stage of renowned artists.
But it was a bittersweet moment.
Because Casey’s thoughts and heart were focused back in his hometown
of Winamac and the memory of his mother who died earlier that week
of cancer. As a single mom, Carolyn Eskridge gave her young son his
first art set and encouraged him to follow his dream of a career in
art - even though her modest economic circumstances might have led
her to suggest that he follow “a more practical course”
of study.
Casey has always been devoted to his mom, and credits her with his
success in the art world. He had hoped she would be with him in Nashville
for the unveiling of Apollo.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the new home of the Nashville Symphony
and a centerpiece of Nashville’s downtown revitalization, opened
to the public Saturday, Sept. 9. The Symphony marked the unveiling
of its new home with celebratory concerts and events that reflect
the expanded scope of programming made possible by the new Symphony
Center.
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This is one of the
first released images of Birth of Apollo which was unveiled
to the public Sept. 9 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Designed by DMS Architectural Services, Inc.,
Akustics, and Fisher Dachs Associates, the 197,000-square-foot neo-classically
inspired Symphony Center will transform Nashville’s musical landscape
and become the cultural heart of the city’s flourishing downtown
area. Schermerhorn Symphony Center was named in honor of the late
Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn, who led the Nashville Symphony for 22
years and personified the city’s artistic accomplishments and
aspirations.
Groundbreaking took place in December 2003.
Eskridge’s new sculpture is one of four
the Symphony commissioned to appear around the Symphony Center. The
other three are the Recording Angel by Audrey Flack, The
Flutist by Marton Varo and the pediment sculpture over the main
entrance Orpheus and Eurydice by Ray Kaskey.
The Birth of Apollo will be the centerpiece
of one of nine granite and limestone fountains surrounding the building.
It is a 15-foot bronze sculpture depicting the Greek god of the arts
emerging from the water's surface accompanied by a Muse. The imposing
water sculpture will be located within view of the center's front
facade.
The four sculpture works together carry a price tag of $1.5 million
drawn from the construction budget and the landscaping budget, according
to Mercedes Jones, manager of the overall construction project and
coordinator of the art component.
For the Nashville project, Eskridge reports that 150 sculptors submitted
proposals following a national call for artists. The list of applicants
was narrowed to 10 based on the existing work of the artists. In the
second phase these top 10 artists were invited to an orientation in
which the concept for the music hall was unveiled by the planners
and architects.
Casey says he was in awe when he realized who
some of his competitors were, including Kaskey, whose most prominent
work so far was a seven-year project to create the architectural sculptures
for the massive National World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington,
D.C., and Flack, known for her photo realism and whose work Casey
studied at art school.
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Designer’s model
of the Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Center
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“I was tingling” to be included with
these famous sculptors, Casey recalls. “The architect told us
it was the project goal to build the best concert hall in the world.”
Built of Indiana limestone, the structure's expected life span is
300 years. “The architect said that he considered us to be 10
of the best sculptors in the world.”
The artists learned the new music hall was to be of neo-classical
design, inspired by the world’s great concert halls, many of
which were built in Europe in the late 19th century.
“The planners didn’t want abstract art, and they expressed
an interest in mythological concepts.,” Casey says. “I did
some research and became fascinated with Apollo. Then suddenly an
image popped into my mind - an inspiration right during the orientation.
It was one of those rare moments, when they come, that you just know
it will work.”
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Casey Eskridge works
on a bust of nursing pioneer Camillus de Lellis for the Indiana
University School of Nursing in Indianapolis which was unveiled
in December 2004.
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Casey says Ms. Jones, the project manager,
has been supportive of his application, his work on Apollo, and his
struggle with his mother’s illness (diagnosed earlier this spring)
throughout the project. Eskridge, a 1991 Winamac Community High school
graduate, was the youngest of the competitors. Jones became his advocate.
Casey received word of his selection to create the fountain sculpture
in a phone call from Jones.
“I thought to myself that I’ve finally made it on the big
stage,” he remembers. “Mercedes (Jones) asked me, do you
realize how big this is and who you beat? It still doesn’t seem
real to me - it’s like a dream.”
Eskridge has been working on the Apollo project for about two
years.
He began with a concept drawing. For a project this size, he also
used some of the latest computer scanning techniques (similar to those
used in Hollywood to create special movie effects) to complete the
design for Apollo, and to assist him in enlarging it to its
final size.
Eskridge says one of the main benefactors of the Symphony Center project
has told him that Apollo is her favorite sculpture in the site
plan.
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Infant sculptures from
Casey’s Salvation Army project.
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Casey’s mother followed every phase of
the sculpture competition and Apollo’s design.
Daughter Hannah, 13, has helped her dad with the Apollo project.
He’s also putting together a documentary on its creation.
Creating Apollo required exhausting mental and emotional energy
throughout, Casey says. “But it’s been difficult for me
to concentrate the past few months.”
This summer he has spent much time in Winamac at his mother’s
bedside as she struggled with colon cancer. He’s received unflinching
support from Jones and others connected with the sculpture project
.
“Everyone’s been so patient and kind and understanding with
me. They’ve become a family I didn’t know I had,” he
said in August.
Eskridge has no major commissions in development right now. He works
from his own studio in Avondale, Pa., near Philadelphia.
But he is passionate about work he is doing with the nearby Salvation
Army homeless shelters, creating wax sculptures of the children who
pass through there. He’s interested in creating a body of work
that can be exhibited at shows, with proceeds to benefit the shelters.
The inspiration came from a sculpture he once made of his grandmother
while she was residing in a local nursing home.
His theme is “displaced people,” noting that people in homeless
shelters, and some of those in nursing homes, are displaced people.
“I grew up poor. I understand that experience,” he says.
“I want to reach out.”
Within hours of his mother’s death , Casey had to return to Pennsylvania
to oversee the final arrangements for Apollo which was set
in place in Nashville a few days later.
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In a phone call from Pennsylvania, he said
he had seen the completed sculpture for the first time at the foundry
upon his return. “It took my breath away.”
Casey acknowledges that he is sentimental. “I still have all
my toys. I have trouble letting go of physical things. It’s a
memory thing for me.
“I’m existing on another plane right now,” he admitted
in the days before the gala in Nashville. “Nothing seems real.”
He viewed the ceremonies for the unveiling of Apollo as a tribute
to his mother more than as a credit for himself.
| Carolyn Eskridge with a young nephew
(above) and in high school at Winamac (left) in the 1960s. |
“Earlier this summer when I learned my
mother was dying, I returned to my studio and was able to include
a tribute to my mother within the Apollo sculpture,” he
revealed just before his mother's memorial service.
It reads, From your loving son and granddaughter,
let this be your memorial.
“My mother’s grave will be in Winamac,” he says. “But
her memorial will be in Nashville.”
Reprinted
from the Sept. 2, 2006 issue of ExPRESS.
