Charleston Arch - Charleston, WV - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Charleston Arch was the result of a $27,500 grant the city of Charleston received in 1980. The Kanawha Arts Alliance, Charleston's City Beautification Commission, and the West Virginia Arts and Humanities Commission were all involved in the project. Three artists were invited to Charleston to compete to have their work commissioned. The artists were shown the site and paid an honorarium and expenses to create scale models of the work they would erect there. The models were then displayed in prominent public places next to ballot boxes, so that Charleston residents could evaluate the works and vote on their favorite design. Accompanying the competition, prominent art historians hosted television programs discussing the artist's proposed works in the context of developments in contemporary art. Charles Ginnever's Charleston Arch received a lion's share of the votes, and was installed in October of 1980. An anecdotal story states that the arch initially had no concrete bases, and instead rested directly on the ground. The story contends that this changed after a city employee bumped their head on the arch while walking through it, so the work was raised. It is unclear if this is a factual retelling, an embellished story designed to explain why the work was raised, or if the piece was always intended to rest on bases.

The SIRIS catalog describes the work as "A twisting arch formed by five linked hexagons, tilted at angles as if they were turning in space. The surface of the piece is a smooth, matte, deep green finish. The two ends of the sculpture rest on small concrete bases. The sculpture is located on a paved plaza area."

The sculptor of Charleston Arch, Charles Ginnever, was an American artist who helped push the boundaries of public abstract art. He believed in the power of public art to enhance and enliven communities. His large-scale steel sculptures can be found throughout the United States and in collections all over the world. However, Charleston Arch is the only public Ginnever work in West Virginia. Ginnever passed away in 2019.-The Clio

There is a placard attached to the base of the sculpture that reads:

CHARLESTON ARCH

CHARLES GINNEVER, SCULPTOR
SELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF CHARLESTON
FUNDED BY
THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
WEST VIRGINIA ARTS & HUMANITIES COMMISSION
GREATER KANAWHA VALLEY FOUNDATION
PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS

OCTOBER 1980

TITLE: Charleston Arch ARTIST(S): Charles Ginnever DATE: 10/1/1980 MEDIUM: Painted steel on concrete base CONTROL NUMBER: IAS WV000007 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: U.S. Post Office 1002 Lee St E Charleston, WV 25301 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: No noticeable differences

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