"The Driftwood Wave". The Figge Museum, Davenport, Iowa.

Chris Fennell, a recent guest on Sidewalk Radio with Gene Kansas, is an engineer turned artist who is often commissioned to create works of art that truly build up the communities in which they exist.  It is this sense of “building” that interests us in Fennell’s work, and continually impresses those viewing his sculptures in person.

It was during a time in Fennell’s life when he was working as an engineer designing flight simulators, that he was also asked to dismantle a barn for a friend. The wood on the barn was beautiful and Fennell, who had some experience in carpentry, decided that the barn boards would look great if assembled in the form of a wave instead of being discarded as planned. He gathered the boards and began creating.  The sculpture was nearly complete when a 3-year-old boy peered from behind a truck in awe. “Ya know, if you can get a 3-year-old interested in art, you’re probably doing something right,” remembers Fennell.  And, thus began the turn of the tide to full time artist.

"Bus Stop Shelter". Broad Street. Athens, GA.

In addition to building in communities, Fennell also builds sculptures that are typically made from objects and materials that have been discarded from the communities hosting the art.  “Bus Stop Shelter” is just up the road in Athens, GA, and is one of our favorites.

To hear more about Chris Fennell’s work, tune into Sidewalk Radio’s April episode, “Field of Dreams”, where the artist describes creating a sculpture out of 800 aluminum baseball bats for a south Atlanta ballpark.  Trust us, this one’s a hit.