Sculptor Ayokunle Odeleye Invites Public To View "Chi Wara Sundial"

Atlanta, Georgia - June 12, 2012 - Master Sculptor Ayokunle Odeleye, has announced an Open Studio from June 12th to July 1st to commemorate the near completion of his "Chi Wara Sundial Lantern," a stainless steel and bronze public art installation for the Cascade/Benjamin E Mays plaza.

Odeleye was selected by the Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Panel to create artwork to beautify the newly renovated intersection in Southwest Atlanta.  Odeleye's design, a "Chi Wara Sundial," gains its concept from the Chi Wara headdress, used in ceremonial celebrations in Mali, West Africa.  Used to symbolize the passing of knowledge from the elders of the community to the young, Odeleye's sculpture incorporates both sundial and lantern elements, symbolically illuminating the path and pointing the direction toward community enlightenment and growth.

In addition to the physical sculpture, 12 granite pavers embedded in the concrete and brick plaza will ring Odeleye's design.  The plates will be engraved with names of important members of the Cascade Heights community, celebrating local residents who've made political, spiritual and cultural contributions to the area.

As Odeleye nears completion of the work, he invites the general public to the Odeleye Sculpture Studios located in Stone Mountain, GA to view the artwork, learn about the Public Art making process, view other works by the sculptor and ask questions.  Individuals and Groups interested in receiving a guided tour should make a reservation via his website at http://www.odeleyesculpturestudios.com.  Open Studio dates are from June 12th to July 1st by appointment only.

About Ayokunle Odeleye
Ayokunle Odeleye has been working as a professional sculptor and arts educator for the past thirty-eight years. He is a senior Professor of Art at Kennesaw State University where he has been teaching for the past twenty-four years. In November of 2012 the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCAGA) will honor Odeleye with a Retrospective Exhibition of drawings, photographs and models of his work highlighting thirty-three years of excellence in the field of Public Art.  For more info, please visit: http://www.odeleyesculpturestudios.com.



Contact:
Oronike Odeleye
Public Liaison
oronikeodeleye@gmail.com
404-516-3195