Clive Community Foundation Celebrates Local Couple with New Sculpture

Clive Community Foundation Celebrates Local Couple with New Sculpture
Fundraising campaign for “Radiance” underway to recognize Peter and Anna Marasco

CLIVE, IOWA – January 12, 2016 – The Clive Community Foundation (CCF) and Clive’s Public Arts Advisory Commission recently announced plans to install a new sculpture called Radiance. The 18-foot sculpture recognizes Clive residents Peter and Anna Marasco.

As part of Clive Community Foundation Presents: Art in Clive!, CCF provided a gift of $7,125 to the arts commission. The grant will serve as seed money for the Marasco art project. In addition, CCF board members held a silent auction and introduced a challenge campaign to those at the event. Both of these activities generated an additional $6,620 to fund a permanent endowment for art in Clive. A check was presented at a special event hosted by the Clive Public Arts Advisory Commission and CCF at NCMIC offices.

“CCF views public art as a pillar which supports a community’s quality of life,” said Scott Cirksena, Clive mayor. “We are fortunate to have CCF provide a foundation of partnership to move public art forward at a local level.”

In 2015, the first full year of fundraising efforts, CCF raised $198,350 from Clive residents and businesses against an initial goal of $100,000. All of these investments are focused on improving quality of life and community health initiatives, as well as projects requiring collaboration with Clive’s neighboring communities.

“We work every day to provide a connection between Clive and its residents – and nothing connects better than public art,” said Andrea Westmeyer, immediate past president of CCF. “From corporate offices to our community greenbelts, public art is present. It is an important element making up the fabric of Clive.”

Radiance, which is based on a design by artist and teacher Peter Marasco, will be installed at the intersection of 128th Street and Woodlands Parkway.

“The sculpture’s placement near both a new residential construction project and Campbell Park – one of our city’s most important parks – could not be more appropriate,” said Matt McQuillen, Clive assistant city manager. “It’s a community project that will honor Peter and Anna for their contributions to Clive, and Peter’s work as a teacher and artist.”

Peter Marasco emigrated to Clive from his home in Italy in 1968. During his years in Iowa, Marasco taught art for 32 years in the Des Moines Public School district and also founded the Italian-American Society in Des Moines. His work as a sculpture artist can be seen throughout central Iowa, primarily at corporate office buildings and incorporated into landscape design.

Also present at last week’s event were members of the Greater Des Moines art community including Sally Dix, executive director of Bravo, and Jeff Fleming, director, Des Moines Art Center.

“Art adds richness and depth to our community, and our goal is to elevate art as a top priority,” said Dix. “Art is a need to have, not just a nice to have. By coming together we have a collective impact on the arts, which is something to celebrate.”

The Clive Public Arts Commission was developed in 2007 to familiarize community residents and recognize arts initiatives in Clive. Among the most prominent campaign is Arts Along the Trail, which is in its fifth year. The campaign has been expanded to nine exhibits along Clive’s greenbelt and walking/running trails. The future plan is to expand the number of public art exhibits within the Clive greenbelt.

Clive residents and businesses can make tax-deductible contributions to either project simply by donating to the Clive Public Arts Advisory Commission. Funds raised will go directly to the permanent endowment or the Marasco project.

About Clive Community Foundation
The Clive Community Foundation was formalized in December 2013 as an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. The CCF is a conduit for residents, businesses and other stakeholders to donate funds for the betterment of our community.

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