Artist and architect Gerard Nadeau will present a public lecture at Stetson University about his Art of Space  installation on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. in the Hand Art Center, located at 139 East Michigan Avenue, DeLand. Sponsored in part by Stetson’s Artists and Lecturers Series, this event is open to the public, free of charge. Nadeau will remain on campus from June 16-27 and welcomes the community to join him in building an Art of Space installation on Stetson’s campus during this time.

Nadeau, assistant professor of architecture at Drury University, is an Accredited Professional for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP) and a part of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He has organized several Art of Space installations where he invites members of the university and municipal communities to participate in all stages of the project installation from the concept development to the design and the construction itself. Nadeau’s goal is to engage local communities by using the sculptures they create to transform undervalued public spaces.

Tonya Curran, director of the Hand Art Center, noted her goals of teaming up with Nadeau for this project: “After our initial meeting, Gerard sent me links to his Art of Space and Facebook webpages and after viewing them I knew that this could be a dynamic opportunity for our students and the community at large,” said Curran. “Subsequently I was approached about a possible collaboration between the Hand Art Center and the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience to use a series of art exhibits and events to highlight its aims to build a commitment to public participatory art as a critical form of communication about the interface between the urban and natural environments.

“Installation art is a type of art form that I really enjoy,” Curran continued. “It is a three-dimensional work that is often site-specific and entered into as environment. Gerard’s emphasis on involving the community in the concept, design and construction was particularly appealing given my personal belief that providing unique, interactive opportunities with art helps educate the public about the importance of art as a tool of communication.”

Examples of Nadeau’s previous Art of Space installations can be seen at http://artofspace.org/projects/ and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Of-Space/147167835340416?sk=photos_stream&ref=page_internal.

For more information about this event, contact Tonya Curran at [email protected] or call 386-822-7271.

By Nicole Melchionda