PORT BYRON - No matter where she looked - whether at the decorative horses found throughout Syracuse or the mermaid statues in Norfolk, Va. - Amy Lee, 38, could not find any town or city that featured theme sculptures of just human beings. Lee, a kitchen and bathroom tile worker from Jordan, decided to pursue her own artistic interests and fill central New York with more colorful people.
Part of the art project - titled Women Building Communities - involves covering automotive bondo-coated foam mannequins in hundreds of tiny glass tiles.
On Wednesday afternoon, Lee found herself at the farmer's market in Port Byron, letting the citizens of the town help build her sculpture. "We were just thinking of a way to bring art into the rural communities," said Lee, who's working with the Cayuga County Arts Council. "The arts council tends to be Auburn-focused."
Upon completion, the project will be a group of five mannequins - three women and two children - covered in different color schemes of tiles, making the mannequins a mosaic. The participating cities and towns include Auburn, Moravia and Port Byron while Lee is in talks with two others.
In the spring of 2006, all five will be gathered in front of the chamber of commerce in Auburn before going on a tour to each of the five towns.
Port Byron's mannequin - one of the women - was covered in purple and lavender tiles on Wednesday. The names of the people who help Lee to glue on the tiles will be collected and hopefully turned into a plaque to go along with her sculpture.
The idea started at the beginning of 2005 and from there, after securing the support of the Arts Council, Lee received a large donation from Roomful of Sisters. Because of this, women became one of the themes.
The hardest part of her project has been securing an indoor spot in each town large enough to display the five mannequin finished sculpture. She hopes that she will then be able to take the mannequins into local high schools and get help from art classes.
"It is a celebration of women coming to communities and starting a family, settling down, starting businesses," Lee said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Lee found herself at the farmer's market in Port Byron, letting the citizens of the town help build her sculpture. "We were just thinking of a way to bring art into the rural communities," said Lee, who's working with the Cayuga County Arts Council. "The arts council tends to be Auburn-focused."
Upon completion, the project will be a group of five mannequins - three women and two children - covered in different color schemes of tiles, making the mannequins a mosaic. The participating cities and towns include Auburn, Moravia and Port Byron while Lee is in talks with two others.
In the spring of 2006, all five will be gathered in front of the chamber of commerce in Auburn before going on a tour to each of the five towns.
Port Byron's mannequin - one of the women - was covered in purple and lavender tiles on Wednesday. The names of the people who help Lee to glue on the tiles will be collected and hopefully turned into a plaque to go along with her sculpture.
The idea started at the beginning of 2005 and from there, after securing the support of the Arts Council, Lee received a large donation from Roomful of Sisters. Because of this, women became one of the themes.
The hardest part of her project has been securing an indoor spot in each town large enough to display the five mannequin finished sculpture. She hopes that she will then be able to take the mannequins into local high schools and get help from art classes.
"It is a celebration of women coming to communities and starting a family, settling down, starting businesses," Lee said.
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