Carbondale’s Public Arts Commission (CPAC) this week announced the selected artists for the 2016 Art aRound Town public exhibition.

The 14 artists selected from 75 entries from around the country are Andrew Arvanetes, DeKalb, Illinois; Joan Benefiel, Brooklyn, New York; James Burnes, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Steven Cramer, Fort Collins; Steven Darrow, Fruitland, Maryland; Tim DeShong, Denver; Dimitry Domani, Durango; Matthew Duffy, Washington, D.C.; Francis Fox, Boise, Idaho; John Hoffman, Carbondale; Yul Jorgensen, Waldenburg; Daniel Romano, Colorado Springs; Joe Sackett, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Ted Schaal, Loveland.

Both Burnes and Duffy have participated in past exhibitions and were selected as the Best of Show award recipients, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Duffy’s sculpture “China Purgatory” is on display at the Carbondale Library, and Burnes is the creator of “Ernesto,” the imposing buffalo standing guard along Highway 133. After being selected Best of Show, “Ernesto” was purchased and donated to Carbondale by a Carbondale resident.

This year, for the first time, the public at large, community and visitors, young and old, are invited to vote for the Best of Show via Survey Monkey. Detailed instructions will be announced throughout the summer. The Best of Show artist is awarded $1,000. 

Since 2002, CPAC has organized Art aRound Town, an annually revolving sculpture exhibition in the downtown core. The 2016-17 sculptures will be unveiled to the public on Thursday, June 2, during a walking tour with the artists explaining their inspiration and process. A public reception to meet the artists will follow the tour.

For more information and images of past exhibitions, visit http://www.carbondaleco.org.