Gesso Cocteau Creates “Endless Celebration” Bronze Dancers
Reaching 51’ Toward the Sky
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Nov. 17, 2005) – The corner of NE 8th and Bellevue Way at Bellevue Place will be transformed on Friday, November 18 at 4:30 p.m. with a spectacular new sculpture commissioned by Kemper Development Company to adorn the sidewalk on the main corner of Bellevue Place.
Named “Endless Celebration,” Artist Gesso Cocteau (www.gessococteau.com), created this cast bronze sculpture reaching 51’ into the air and weighing in at nearly three tons. It is the tallest cast bronze sculpture in the West.
Describing the art, Cocteau says, "Endless Celebration is a mirror of human relations. This sculpture was created to reflect a strong community where people who live here can work hard and enjoy the good life. Introducing sculpture to retail architecture reflects the humanity behind commerce. Sculpture should help preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of a community. I am hoping that this work will communicate romanticism and joy to all of the people who live in or visit Bellevue.”
“When seeking an artist for this commission, we searched for someone with the sensitivity to create a piece that explored the use of balance and an artistic vision to make Endless Celebration a piece that defines the beauty and dynamic energy of Bellevue,” says Kemper Freeman, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Kemper Development Company and developer of Bellevue Place, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Square, each framing three points of the corner where Endless Celebration is to be placed. “Gesso captured the spirit and energy of our city better than I could have hoped. This sculpture is a wonderful expression of the dynamic nature of our community. We are extremely proud to dedicate this piece on November 18.”
A dedication ceremony will be held for Endless Celebration at the site (NE 8th and Bellevue Way in front of Bellevue Place/Hyatt Regency Bellevue) at 4:30 p.m., Friday, November 18, 2005. Kemper Freeman, Jr. and Gesso Cocteau will lead the dedication.
The sculpture is made of cast bronze, sculpted first in wax and then cast. Metal Arts Foundry did the casting. Gesso Cocteau is a singular artist of the human form in motion. It is her vision that permits her to reject scientific constructs of gravity and replace them with her perception of airborne and flowing bodies giving serious interpretation to motion as lovers, dancers, musicians, athletes or bodies twisted in midair. Her pieces become personal and meaningful to all who observe them. Her studio is located in Rancho Mirage, California.
About Kemper Development Company:
Kemper Development Company is the developer and manager of three significant projects. Bellevue Square, a nationally recognized super-regional shopping center with over 200 premier shops and restaurants. Bellevue Place, with 500,000 square feet of successful Class “A” office space, retail and restaurants surrounding the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. Lincoln Square, a 1.4 million square foot mixed-use project featuring 540,000 square feet of Class “A” office space (Starting Early 2006), The Westin Bellevue with 337 luxury guest rooms and 310,000 square feet of retail and restaurants with a 16-screen theater.
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PHOTO CAPTION: An adventurous approach to the use of balance, as one figure daringly holds the other up into the sky with trust and declares its space with elegance
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