A Gainesville artist has a high-flying vision, and she’s turning to Kickstarter for help.
UF alumna Leslie Tharp said her ambition is to make a steel sculpture of hot air balloons to display at a large art exhibition in Arizona.
Tharp’s metalwork is already on display in front of UF’s Small Animal Hospital. She works out of her metal studio on U.S. Route 441 and will begin creating the hot air balloon project for the Scottsdale Public Art program next week.
The Scottsdale Public Art Program is sponsoring Tharp by covering the materials for the sculpture, transportation and installation of the piece, but she is using Kickstarter.com, an online fundraising platform, to generate funds to keep her studio open while she completes the project.
Tharp has received pledges for more than $4,000 of the $6,700 she wants to collect. She launched the 29-day campaign on Nov. 12.
If the goal is met, Kickstarter will add 5 percent of the total funds. But if she doesn’t raise the entire amount by Dec. 11, she won’t receive any of the funding.
“I’ve put myself out there, and the support and response has been huge,” she said. “I’m confident that it will all work out.”
She said she chose hot air balloons because they are symbolic of potential and are part of Scottsdale’s culture.
Tharp will drive her pieces across the country in February and set them up in Scottsdale, where they will stay until June when she plans to transport them to another city.
Janalyn Peppel, the owner of metalworking shop Powder Coating of Gainesville, said Tharp is getting a lot of recognition for her work as one of few female metalworkers.
“She has mastered the art of creating elegance through comprehensive, detailed metal working,” Peppel said. “She’s a special person and artist.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 12/4/2013 under the headline "Artist hopes Kickstarter campaign, project will take off"
