Agogo Grow

This piece continues a monthly series about the artworks and artists chosen for Community Corner at Sculpture Park at the corner of 79th St. and Niwot Road.

October's feature is "Agogo Grow" by artist Maureen Hearty. "Agogo Grow" is a repurposed steel and aluminum sculpture. Standing roughly 3 feet tall, it features flowers situated amongst the twisting, industrial steel rods. It is accompanied by a large drumstick, encouraging the viewer to play. Fittingly, it's in the middle of the park within reach of all who pass through. It is the only interactive and sound-creating sculpture featured in the park at this time.

Maureen Hearty refers to herself as a sculptress, gardener, musician, and community organizer. Using art, music, and horticulture as tools for education and community activation is her priority. "My creative practice exists in two planes; a maker of objects and a community based artist. As my work develops I aim to find the intersection of these two loves," she wrote on her website, mauxheart.com.

She incorporates various materials and methods based on the community and space with which she is working; materials include metal, cob, textiles, ceramics, collected natural materials, plastic bottles and other found objects. She also collects audio stories as a tool for social bridge building.

Hearty's work ranges from playful structures like "Agogo Grow" to provocative spherical representations of nature to angular depictions of planes and wagons. Her work is tied to the earth, and her use of repurposed materials furthers this association. She demonstrates an enthusiasm for life and all the wonderful, sometimes sad, other times gross or inspiring processes that we collectively witness.

Maureen was born in Littleton, Colorado, grew up in Denver and is currently blossoming in Joes, Colorado. Transforming metal waste into sculptures, and inspired by the fluctuating social and physical geography, she explores themes of invention, movement, metamorphosis, and decomposition in her sculpture.

Hearty's work can be experienced in private collections and exhibits across Colorado. In late September, The Orphanage, an automotive-themed exhibit space in Yuma, CO, hosted her "Land and Place" exhibit. "Maureen's primary inspiration for Land and Place has been life on the High Plains: the horizon line, majestic open space, things that grow, and things that decay" (orphanageyuma.com).

"I believe that we should participate, respect all and have fun while doing as little damage as possible to ourselves, each other and our surroundings" (mauxheart.com).

Maureen Hearty's sculpture, "Agogo Grow," can be seen at the Niwot Community Corner at Sculpture Park. The piece is available for purchase.

For more information about the visit http://www.niwot.com/sculpture and http://www.mauxheart.com.