St. Charles sculptor named finalist in competition
Sculptor Guy J. Bellaver was recently named a finalist in the sixth annual Temporary Exhibit Competition of the City of Blue Springs, Mo.
The exhibit is issued by the Blue Spring Public Art Commission, and is titled “Inspired Visions.” The Public Art Commission is working in cooperation with RED Development, developers of Adams Dairy Landing.
An Artist Selection Panel composed of artists, art administrators, a representative from RED Development, the Planning Commission, and community residents, was convened to review all submissions meeting the application requirements and deadline. Artists were selected on the basis of submission materials evidencing artistic quality of past work and experiences. One or more of the pieces in the exhibit may be purchased annually to remain in the city as permanent art. The city attempts to select and acquire art when possible for the city's collection.
Bellaver is a sculptor whose works span many mediums, including stone, wood, painted steel, and bronze. His monumental works include The Kane County Veterans Memorial, Geneva, IL; Ēkwabet (Potawatomi Indian – found in the Art Inventories Catalog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum), St. Charles, Ill.; The Crucifixion of Christ (both bronze and wood), St. Patrick's Church, St. Charles; The Growth of Post Modern, MCC Technology, St. Charles; Limestone in the Wind/Pittsburgh, Latrobe, Penn.; and Jesus Christ/The Resurrection, The Daughters of St. Paul, Boston, Mass.
His collectors include H. J. Heinz Company, Graphite Sales, and the Forest County Potawatomi, among others. His work also appears in private collections around the country.
After his discharge from the United States Army, Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from St. Vincent College. He has worked as a sculptor full time since 1975. Bellaver has taken masters credit classes in art at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Northern Illinois University, as well as The School of the Museum of Art in Chicago. He is currently a member of Chicago Sculpture International, and the International Sculpture Center. He sits on the Board of the St. Charles Visitors and Cultural Commission and the Steering Committee of the St. Charles Arts Council. Bellaver is a past President of the St. Charles Rotary Club and Foundation and a past Chairman of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership's Public Art Committee. It is a registered Veteran Owned Small Business.