Artist Hank Kaminsky working on his well known work, “World Peace Prayer Fountain” in the early 2000s
Photo: hankkaminsky.com
Mount Sequoyah Center will host a fundraiser this month, with hopes to secure funds to install a new sculpture by beloved local artist Hank Kaminsky on their grounds in Fayetteville.
Then fundraiser is set for Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m., where the center will be showing a 2018 short documentary about Kaminsky’s work and raising funds for the project. The film to be screened that evening was created in 2018 as part of the Arkansas Living Treasure Project by the Arkansas Arts Council.
Following the film screening, the artist will be interviewed by local radio personality, Kyle Kellams.
Mount Sequoyah is hoping to raise $25,000 for the construction and transportation of a piece that Kaminsky designed in 2004, but was never produced. The sculpture would be created in concrete, and etched with the phrase “You are Standing on Sacred Ground” in a number of languages, including English and Cherokee. The phrase has become a signature used frequently in Kaminsky’s work.
“In the years since it was made, my sculpture has been waiting for a place to come home,” Kaminsky said. “I am a firm believer that things work out somehow. This sculpture has been waiting for Mount Sequoyah to begin a process of transformation. My piece joins the many other symbols of a growing and diverse spiritual life. I am honored by the opportunity of placing the work here in this beautiful campus, helping me complete my own spiritual process.”
“Kaminsky is more than an Arkansas treasure,” said Christina Karnatz, Vice President of Mount Sequoyah. “Through his work, he has shaped the atmosphere of the city of Fayetteville. This sculpture will do that for our campus and serve as a symbol of our past, present and future as a welcoming space for all.”
A Hank Kaminsky sculpture featuring his signature ‘You are Standing on Sacred Ground’ phrase
Photo: Courtesy, Wood Stone
Kaminsky is best known for his “World Peace Prayer Fountain,” located next to the Fayetteville Town Center on the square.
According to a press release issued last week, the new sculpture and the unique inscription take on a special meaning to the artists and administration from Mount Sequoyah.
“This piece encourages respect for the earth, different values, and belief structures,” said Jessica DeBari, director of Mount Sequoyah’s arts residency program, Creative Spaces. “That respect is key to the goals of the community of artists who are a part of Creative Spaces at Mount Sequoyah.”
Admission to the fundraising event on Feb. 27 is a $30 suggested donation, which comes with hors d’oeuvres prepared by chef Justus Moll, beer and wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Some of Kaminsky’s other works will be auctioned that evening as well to help raise funds for the project, and donors who make gifts of $500 or more will be recognized at the base of the sculpture.
For more information about Kaminsky’s work, visit his website.
