Sculptor John Acorn is ready to see his work come to fruition as his modern, geometric sculpture adds the finishing touch to NOMA Square in downtown Greenville.
In fall of 2012, the Hyatt design team dreamed of an exciting new outdoor space, and they knew they wanted a beautiful piece of art for the community to enjoy on the North end of Main Street. The process began with hotel owner Mr. DJ Rama browsing in Hampton 3 Gallery in Greenville. He was inspired by a local artist’s work there, and gallery owner, Sandy Rupp introduced him to the artist, Mr. John Acorn. A well respected sculptor, and former professor at Clemson, he was up for the challenge of creating a unique piece of art to become part of the downtown Greenville streetscape. Soon, a plan was underway to create a model of the sculpture. Mr. Acorn took his inspiration from nature, citing his fondness for the gum ball that falls from the sweet gum tree. What some people find a nuisance in their yard, Mr. Acorn saw beauty in. The basis of his model consisted of spheres, and he cut many wooden spheres to create his masterpiece. When he was finished, he set the leftover pieces to the side. After some time, he decided to put those extra pieces to good use, and began another model, a “spinoff design.” During his presentation to show his model to the team, they noticed the second sculpture sitting aside in his studio. The team was drawn to the “spinoff,” and knew that it was the design they were looking for all along. After weeks of fabrication by the team at Consolidated Southern Industries, the sculpture is complete, and Greenville will soon get a glimpse of the spectacular new piece. On Tuesday, February 19th at 2:00 p.m. the unveiling will occur in NOMA Square.
John Acorn was born in New Jersey. He received his BA from Montclair State College in New Jersey and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. He joined the faculty at Clemson University in 1961 as an assistant professor teaching sculpture. In 1969, he received a grant as a Fulbright Scholar in Creative Arts at the Hochschule fur Bildende Kunst in West Berlin, where he spent a year making his work. Since 1961, he has played a major role in establishing and developing support for the visual arts in South Carolina. In 1998, he was awarded the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award, South Carolina’s most prestigious honor given to an individual artist for commitment to developing the arts within the state. In 1997 Mr. Acorn retired from Clemson University after thirty-six years, twenty as the Department Chair for the Art Department. He is presently serving as a member of the Center for Visual Arts Advisory Board at Clemson University. John Acorn has dedicated his life to enriching the experience for every individual at Clemson University.
