Andy Dunnill, the British-born metal sculptor who created Davidson’s first public art piece, died January 29, 2016.
Dunnill was an art professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which announced his death this week.
His works are mostly large-scale creations of steel, cast metal and mixed media, and sometimes incorporate metal he has found.
Dunnill’s sculpture “A Bouquet for Davidson” was installed in 2009 in the plaza in front of the Davidson post office. It was the first work chosen by the town’s then new Public Art Commission.
The 15-foot iron creation, with shapes and forms meant to evoke a sense of place and history, has spurred a lively debate about public art in town, with opinions ranging from admiration to anger.
Born in England, Dunnill had a bachelor’s degree from West Surrey College in the UK, and a master of fine arts from the University of Maryland.
He came to the US as artist-in-residence at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, NY, then joined the UNCG faculty in 1993.
His work had been exhibited at the Sculpture Center, in New York, and Roosevelt Island and Long Island University, also in New York. Other shows were at the Navy Pier in Chicago, St. Paul’s Western Sculpture Park, Minnesota, and Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota, where he was resident artist in 1997. Andy also had a one person exhibit at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston Salem.
RELATED LINKS
Dunnill’s page on the UNCG Art Department site, https://www.uncg.edu/art/faculty/dunnill.html
February 2009, YouTube, “‘A Bouquet for Davidson,’ by Andy Dunnill” – Here’s a short video I produced for the Town of Davidson and DavidsonNews.net in 2009, as Dunnill was finishing work on the “Bouquet” sculpture. It was shown to the Town Board.
See further coverage of Any Dunnill in the archive at DavidsonNews.net.
UNCG ANNOUNCEMENT
The Art Department is sad to announce that Professor Andy Dunnill died on January 29, 2016. Andy joined the sculpture faculty here in 1993, quickly becoming a valued friend, colleague, teacher and mentor. He also had a thriving studio practice, exhibiting his work regularly at national and international venues.
Andy’s loss is immense, and as we all struggle to come to terms with it we also send our sincerest condolences to his family in the United Kingdom. The Art Department will remember Andy and celebrate his life later this spring–all details about this event will be shared with you as soon as they are available.
See original announcement: http://www.uncg.edu/art/about/news.html
David Boraks 