"Spirit of the River"

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

This month's feature is "Spirit of the River" by artist Scott Campbell Reuman. The full title of this large metal structure is "Spirit of the River Does Not Live Long in an Irrigation Pipe." The piece was donated to the town of Niwot by the artist's family.

"Creativity is the source that sustains and connects all humanity. Without it, there would be no change. With it, we are small but real gods and goddesses. We are all artists, even if you never pick up paint and brush, chisel and hammer, or pencil and paper. Art is a way of thinking, a way of being, a way of life" (osmosisartgallery.com).

Scott Campbell Reuman was an active member of the Boulder County arts community and avid outdoorsmen. Based in Nederland, Reuman took to nature as a source of artistic inspiration and as a tool to unlock deep human potential within himself, and all people. Natural elements are present in much of his wood-based work, but even in his industrial metal work there are ties to the earth and time.

Scott referred to himself as a biomedical engineer and physicist. He used creative technology to meld natural forms with unnatural modernity, such as LED lights and epoxy. In his everyday life he was a woodworker, sculptor, painter, and writer. Cutting edge in his endeavors, he served as an inspirational figure in the local arts scene.

Scott was born in Long Branch, New Jersey and graduated from Wilton High School in Wilton, Connecticut. Scott attended Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, Colorado Institute of Art and Dartmouth College. (www.reuman.com).

After Scott Campbell Reuman passed in 2012 of cancer, a free screening of "Scott Reuman and the Wave of Improbability," a documentary tribute to the artist, took place in the Boulder Public Library auditorium. Following the film, the inaugural Scott Reuman Award for Artistic Excellence was first awarded. The $4,000 award recognizes an artist who has demonstrated an absolute mastery of his/her craft. A foundation established in Reuman's memory has guaranteed the continuance of the annual award for ten years (openstudios.com).

"Certain elements of my work repeatedly appear: flowing forms, curves, the contrast of mixed materials, river imagery, and water. Wild things, diversity, human insignificance in the universe, all serve as inspiration. My work, then, is not contained within a theme. It is instead from within; born in the seat of unconscious, heated in the forge of mind, fueled by a life of observation, and tempered by the heart of soul," (osmosisartgallery.com).

Scott Campbell Reuman's sculpture, "Spirit of the River," can be seen at the Niwot Community Corner at Sculpture Park. The piece is not currently available for purchase.

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