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ALL AGLOW; Unique Sculpture at the   West Valley Art Museum

Artist’s work glows at WVAM

Daily News Sun
Feb. 7, 2008

Scott McNeill opened his exhibition of new work at the West Valley Art Museum Dec. 14.  McNeill, a wood carving artist whose unusual bas-reliefs with paintings on them, first showed his work at the Museum in the “Rings of Time” exhibition in 1999.  He later had a one-man show at the museum in 2003.  The paintings work in relation to, but are different from the carvings themselves. 

The Art of Scott McNeill: The Glow Series, funs through Feb. 24.

McNeill’s early pieces were in linden wood, hand carved in a style he developed while learning as an apprentice in Honduras from 1994- 1996.  After returning to the U.S., he worked on his “multidimensional artwork” techniques and approached West Valley Art Museum for interest in his art.

Always ready to surprise his admires.  McNeill’s new work departs from the material of painted wood and delves into the world of plastics and resins.  Not content with the lengthy carving time to realize a single sculpture and interested in pushing the boundaries once again, he experimented with casting materials that would have unusual color properties.  He hit on a light sensitive material that would absorb light energy and would glow-in-the-dark at night, and have different color properties under normal lighting.

The idea had instant appeal to McNeill, since it was another version of being “multi-dimensional,” only in a different direction.

The exhibit in the Heffernon Room Gallery will be set with special lighting to charge the sculptures and will have alternative lighting to show off the startling effects of the new material applied to an art form.

Small versions of the “glow series” will be available in the Museum Store during the exhibition.

West Valley Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.